Motivators and deterrents of luxury fashion counterfeit consumption: a dual-factor theory perspective

Purpose Owing to the limited understanding of the factors underlying luxury fashion counterfeit (LFC) consumption, this study aims to draw upon the dual-factor theory (DFT) to explore the motivating and deterring factors that influence the consumption of LFCs. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and were simultaneously analyzed using iterative thematic analysis. Findings The results indicate that economic considerations, wide availability, variety seeking, brand aspiration, social influence, lax law enforcement, keeping up with the Joneses, pervasiveness, anti-big business attitude, fashion seeking, hedonistic pursuits, similarity perceptions, novelty seeking and smart shopping are the prominent motivators. The analysis also reveals cognitive dissonance, ethical considerations, important occasions, misspelled brand names, risk perceptions, poor quality and low durability as crucial deterrents. The results further reveal an interaction between motivators and deterrents at the level of the counterfeit product category. Lastly, sample-specific evidence indicates that the inhibiting effect of deterrents outweighs the enabling effect of motivators. Practical implications The findings can be used by global luxury fashion brand managers to inform their anti-counterfeiting campaigns. Originality/value The study proposes a comprehensive framework of the motivators and deterrents underlying LFC consumption, which was previously lacking in the counterfeiting literature. In addition, the identification of some novel motivating and deterring factors helps in advancing our understanding of consumers’ counterfeit consumption behavior. The study makes a pioneering attempt to position deterrents as independently influential forces that affect the counterfeit consumption behavior of consumers. The study also extends DFT by revealing a unique and novel interaction between motivators and deterrents. Lastly, it provides preliminary and sample-specific empirical evidence for the existence of negativity bias in the counterfeiting literature.