Redefining “masstige” luxury consumption in the post-COVID era

Abstract

The concept of “new luxury” has challenged the conventional marketing of luxury goods as prestigious, leading to greater expansion of mass luxury meaning. This has become more evident since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has been a catalyst for consumption in the luxury market. This paper investigates the mass marketing of luxury goods and explores the essence of masstige luxury consumption since the outbreak of COVID-19. An interpretive approach was conducted based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 31 participants. It analyzes four themes of mass luxury: self as content, self as process, self as context, and self–other. We further argue that the mass consumption of luxury reduces cognitive dissonance, with the pandemic resolving the dark side of conventional luxury consumption. Our findings provide important insights for both scholars and practitioners in the development of a more holistic understanding of masstige in the post-COVID era.

Luxury consumption amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

“…, 2021). They have gradually turned their focus away from other people's notions of luxury towards their personal goals and internal desires, such as sustained well-being and empathy (Wang et al. , 2022a).…”

“…, 2022). Moreover, consumers become empathetic towards each other, more understanding and emotionally bonded (Wang et al. , 2022a).…”

“…This decline is partially attributed to luxury consumers' sensitivity, which is higher than before, towards the critical mass challenges amidst the pandemic (e.g. job loss, lack of money, food and basic amenities) (Wang et al, 2022a). This has changed their attitude towards money [i.e.…”

Post-COVID-19 Consumers’ Cautious and Virtuous Mindsets: New Marketing Opportunities for Positive Social Change

“…At the other end, to respond to customers who are eager to revive their shopping sprees, retailers will have opportunities for offering novel merchandising and in-store experiences such as fashion shows, product demos in groups, wine tastings, and social hours. Opportunities for innovations in value creation in prestige-branded products and experiential services will also be available for savvy businesses to participate in ( Wang et al 2022 ).…”

Exploring the antecedents of masstige purchase behaviour among different generations

“…Consequently, research on masstige marketing is flourishing (for a review, see Kumar et al, 2020). However, despite this tremendous increase in masstige research, there is a need for additional research to develop and synthesise a robust theoretical framework on various aspects of masstige marketing (Das et al, 2022;Paul, 2018;Purohit & Radia, 2022;Shukla et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2022). Furthermore, masstige brand research has received more attention in developed European economies than in developing/emerging European markets (Shahid et al, 2021).…”