Attitude towards Counterfeit of Luxury Brands: A Research on Consumers in Turkey

Production and purchase of counterfeits are increasing in Turkey. Trade in counterfeits has reached record levels since counterfeiting is a significant economic phenomenon. Consumers mostly prefer such products mainly because of being much cheaper than their originals. Turkey, which is among the main production base of the branded goods, has competitive advantage with qualified labour and location since it is already in customs union with Europe. Although the officials work hard to combat with these illegal ventures, consumers may want to benefit from counterfeits of the branded goods by paying less for the quality and prestige. Demand is the main driver behind the supply side. The purpose of the research is to reveal the motivations that influence the demand side. The impacts of the antecedents namely fashion consciousness, perceived value, perceived risk, ethical consciousness on attitude towards counterfeits and willingness to purchase for counterfeits of luxury brands are examined on Turkish consumers. Total 207 respondents selected by convenience sampling method took part in the survey by using face to face interview carried out in Eastern Black sea region in Turkey. SPSS v.23 and SmartPLS 3 Structural Equation Modelling were both used in analysing the data. Main finding is perceived value positively and ethical consciousness negatively impact attitude towards counterfeit and willingness to purchase of counterfeit. Moreover, attitude towards counterfeit positively impacts willingness to purchase. In opposite to that, fashion consciousness and perceived risk do not have impact on attitude towards counterfeit and willingness to purchase. Practitioners taking into account the findings in their marketing communication may benefit for their branding strategy.