Backyard Bulgari: Availability as a Factor in Consumer Willingness to Buy Counterfeit Goods

School Name

South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Consumer Science

Presentation Type

Mentored

Oral Presentation Award

1st Place

Abstract

This study analyzes the effect availability of counterfeits has on a consumer’s willingness to buy different counterfeit goods. This was done through a survey distributed in Shanghai, China and Charleston, South Carolina in which respondents gave their perception as to how available counterfeits goods were to them and if they were willing to buy twenty different counterfeits. These items range from automotive parts to watches and can be divided into “status piece” and “non-status piece” items, with status piece items including clothes, handbags, wallets, jewelry, and similar goods. With significance, we found contrasting results in the Shanghai and Charleston surveys. As Shanghai respondents perceived counterfeit items to be more available, they were less willing to buy “status piece” counterfeits. As Charleston respondents perceived counterfeit items to be more available, they were more willing to buy counterfeit items across the board. This disparity can be attributed to Shanghainese respondents living in a more “image” focused environment where your appearance and the brands you wear have a large weight. As Shanghainese respondents perceived their environment as increasingly saturated with counterfeits, they perceived a greater risk in wearing them and were more interested in the personal benefits of wearing non-counterfeit luxury items. Charlestonian respondents were more interested in the convenience of purchasing counterfeits as well as their lower price and therefore were more willing to buy counterfeit items as they perceived them to be more available.

Location

Founders Hall 255 A

Start Date

3-30-2019 11:45 AM

Presentation Format

Oral Only

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 30th, 11:45 AM

Backyard Bulgari: Availability as a Factor in Consumer Willingness to Buy Counterfeit Goods

Founders Hall 255 A

This study analyzes the effect availability of counterfeits has on a consumer’s willingness to buy different counterfeit goods. This was done through a survey distributed in Shanghai, China and Charleston, South Carolina in which respondents gave their perception as to how available counterfeits goods were to them and if they were willing to buy twenty different counterfeits. These items range from automotive parts to watches and can be divided into “status piece” and “non-status piece” items, with status piece items including clothes, handbags, wallets, jewelry, and similar goods. With significance, we found contrasting results in the Shanghai and Charleston surveys. As Shanghai respondents perceived counterfeit items to be more available, they were less willing to buy “status piece” counterfeits. As Charleston respondents perceived counterfeit items to be more available, they were more willing to buy counterfeit items across the board. This disparity can be attributed to Shanghainese respondents living in a more “image” focused environment where your appearance and the brands you wear have a large weight. As Shanghainese respondents perceived their environment as increasingly saturated with counterfeits, they perceived a greater risk in wearing them and were more interested in the personal benefits of wearing non-counterfeit luxury items. Charlestonian respondents were more interested in the convenience of purchasing counterfeits as well as their lower price and therefore were more willing to buy counterfeit items as they perceived them to be more available.