Running head: RESEARCH CRITIQUE 1

Cultural Preferences for Luxury Goods

-Research Critique
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Introduction

The paper is on the topic “Cultural Preferences for Luxury Goods”. The main objective of the paper is to

analyze the cultural preferences for luxury goods and the whole process has been conducted through interview

questions, survey processes and observation designs. The major research questions include: where the

interviewee comes from and the countries they prefer to consume goods from. It is also looking at some of the

factors that are looked upon before consuming a luxurious good. As a consumer group, one needs to understand

the value of product quality more so coming from the general initiative to get the best possible quality that

exists in the market. This research has generally approached the matter from the perspective of looking at some

of the major factors that consumers look at before they consume a luxurious product. As a consumer, one needs

the best quality from the market and this easily pushes one to opt for the luxurious products that are directly in

the market. As such, the value of a product is determined by the number of people who have it; when the

numbers are low, then it is deemed to be more luxurious. Additionally, for most people, it is also important to

consider whether the commodity has been produced locally or is a foreign product. In most cases, consumers

prefer foreign products which are mostly considered to be the luxurious commodities in the market.

Since there are new perceptions within the luxurious possessions, there are several people at the low tier

of the socio-economic pyramid which have generally boosted the sales of the items. Everyone in the field tries

to make it to the top tier but then it is considered a better option in the market. Most of the businesses have to be

in the market because they are sure that there are different levels of consumers. With these different categories,

it makes it possible for the companies to develop luxurious commodities keenly knowing that they will still

have a market for these commodities over time.

Summary of comments

1. 1st Reviewer
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The reviewer looked at what the consumers normally think luxury begins. The idea for the authors was that

it is vital to establish at what point does one actually say that they belong to a luxury setting and when does it

come to an end. The move is purposefully staged to ensure that as consumers, one knows at what limit will they

be considered to be using luxurious commodities and whether luxury is actually necessary or something that can

be done away with. The study emphasizes more on the fact that for anything to be considered a luxury, it should

not be a compulsory commodity for use. This will eventually make it possible for any user to enjoy the lifeline

of the commodity and know that it is unique and not easily affordable to many. Luxury is directly related to

uniqueness such that for it to be considered luxurious, it must also be a unique commodity in the said market as

such. The review simply looks at the direct value of luxurious commodities to the market and what they truly

add to the daily lives of humans. Luxury creates a difference between survival and true living which makes life

more precious for many people across the globe.

2. 2nd Reviewer

The reviewer looks into the airline business where some people opt for the first-class travel as a luxury

option. Essentially, for most businesses, the more people consume luxury, the easier it is for them to develop a

direct relationship with the business at hand. It is imperative to note that luxuries make it easier to know the true

value of any commodity because they differentiate the two classes of commodities in a market. They always

appear unique and have a special categorization accorded to them which make them a part form the other

commodities in the market. In the airline business, the main thing that most rich people prefer is the mobility

within the first-class region, special seats and service. In a luxury set up, one tends to have a special treatment

accorded to them simply because they are well known to be the heavy spenders in the business. First class in

airline travel is important because the more improved this segment is, the easier it is to retain the customers in

that segment in the form of customer loyalty. It is always harder to gain loyalty from the high end customers

which is the reason why in the airline business, major investments are made in this segment just to ensure that

they remain loyal to the business which directly transforms into the high profits that the business anticipates to

make.

Reflection
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Luxury consumption is meant to develop a sense of prestige around an individual. Culturally, people

have different perceptions when it comes to consumption of luxuries but in all cases, there were exceptional

people who would consume without any limit. The rich would obvious have an added advantage when it came

to the consumption of luxuries but then made sure that they maintained it within a certain limit. Luxury

consumption in this case has been looked at depending on the financial muscle of an individual. The richer an

individual is, the more likely they are to consume certain luxuries knowing that they can truly afford them in all

instances as such.

The reviewers have analyzed the project and one major weakness that has been pointed out is the fact

that it does not in any way touch on the negative sides of luxury consumption and the warnings for luxuriously

consuming commodities. It makes more sense for someone to opt for a luxurious life but even in that case, it

needs to be surrounded within the precincts of abilities exhibited by the consumer rather than effects of peer

pressure running down on an individual at any one point.

The research study needs to also touch on the ability to transform cheap to luxury and also address on

the question of whether if substandard commodities are sold at an expensive price they would still be

considered top quality stuff. Most people tend to associate pricing to luxury and class thus, this question is vital

because it enable a reader to understand whether the commodity in question belongs to a certain class courtesy

of the pricing or it has to gain the standard depending on the type of commodity produced and uniqueness

within the same market as such.

Recommendations

According to the interview with my friend who is from Korea, he pointed out some good suggestions,

and I started to thinking the deep meaning of ‘luxury’.

1. This research needs more development specifically when it comes to definition of luxury and the

classes of luxury that exists. It is more demeaning to imagine that most commodities that are looked at to be
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luxurious are indeed not luxurious but rather a misunderstanding that has been created in mind by any. Luxury

has to be followed by some class. Similarly, this paper addresses the position of culture on luxuries which

should truly be main focus and on this subject, what needs to be looked at is the fact that there is a need to

maintain high level desire for a commodity and uniqueness for anything to be termed as luxurious in any case.

2. Another recommendation is to analyze different continent cultures and how they perceive luxury.

Luxury is more dependent on the type of culture someone comes from which in this case, there is a need to look

at these cultures independently and singularly so as to understand how they value their high-end lives and the

best way that can be used to address the current challenges in the different markets. With such an analysis, it

will be easier to understand the true position of a commodity in the market and the financial capabilities in

general. Such businesses always have an upper hand more so when they operate among cultures that appreciate

luxury more because they are certain that their goods will be consumed as compared to the low earning

economies and cultures.

Conclusion

The research touched more on the cultural perspective of luxury where the biggest question had been

some of the factors that consumers look at when choosing luxurious products. Any luxurious products are made

so courtesy of the standard it has gained within a certain society/community and the class it contains. Luxury is

relative and thus changes depending on cultures hence the more reason as to why there exist different factors

that determine choice of luxury.

References

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