Luxury during trade tensions. The influence of economic animosity, cosmopolitanism and patriotism on intention to buy foreign luxury products

Abstract

PurposeUsing trade tensions as a background scenario, the study aims to investigate the dynamics of coexistence between cosmopolitan trends and the patriotic moods of luxury consumers, and how these feelings interact with both economic animosity and intention to buy luxury products originated in the hostile country.Design/methodology/approachThe analytical framework was tested through an empirical survey carried out on Russian and Chinese consumers. In total, 766 questionnaires were collected and were analysed using structural equation modelling method.FindingsResults confirm that patriotic sentiments and economic-based feelings are negatively associated with intentions to buy luxury products that originated in the hostile area. Furthermore, results show that cosmopolitanism positively influences intention to buy. However, the positive effect of patriotism on economic animosity combined with its indirect effect on the intention to buy may reduce the strength of luxury products.Practical implicationsThe study has practical implications since it identifies strategic suggestions for luxury companies' managers. More specifically, they have to be aware of the patriotic trends affecting Russian and Chinese consumers and should actively seek to leverage local partners' knowledge in order to better connect with customers' expectations.Originality/valueThe study contributes to a better understanding of the influence exerted by cosmopolitan orientation and patriotic feelings on luxury goods purchase intentions. The study also examines cosmopolitanism and patriotism as antecedents of animosity, which have not been extensively researched in the past with respect to the luxury sector.

The influence of luxury brand personality on digital interaction evaluations: a focus on European and North American markets

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Research on the Development of China's Luxury Goods Industry-based on LVMH

“…Mainolfi's study seeks to examine the interplay between cosmopolitan trends and patriotic sentiments among luxury buyers in the context of trade conflicts. Specifically, the study attempts to investigate how these factors interact with economic hostility and influence the intention to acquire luxury items from nations that are perceived as hostile [10]. Jia elucidated the correlation between the advancement of luxury commodities and the preservation of the environment within the framework of the Chinese economic paradigm.…”

Effects of country animosity of angry Koreans on Japan: A focus on export regulation on Korea

“…Economic animosity may be produced by economic disputes between two countries (Klein et al, 1998 ), and economic animosity is mainly situational (Mrad et al, 2013 ). Situational economic animosity originates from feelings of a country's population about economic aggression or domination against a hostile country (Nijssen and Douglas, 2004 ), and is associated with temporary economic events (Jung et al, 2002 ), e.g., trade disputes along with economic arguments (Mainolfi, 2021 ). Therefore, Korean people's animosity resulting from Japan's export restrictions to Korea belongs to situational economic animosity, which will be explored in this study.…”

“…Three antecedents were found to have an influence on animosity (Shoham et al, 2006 ), including nationalism, dogmatism together with internationalism. Additionally, nationalism, patriotism, and internationalism were proven to affect animosity (Al Ganideh and Elahee, 2018 ), and patriotism was demonstrated to positively impact economic animosity (Mainolfi, 2021 ). As an antecedent of animosity, “nationalism is commitment plus exclusion of others, a readiness to sacrifice bolstered by hostility toward others” (Druckman, 1994 , p. 48); nationalism “encompasses views that one's country is superior and should be dominant (and thus implies a denigration of other nations)” (Balabanis et al, 2001 , p.160).…”