Consumer insights into luxury goods: Why they shop where they do in a jewelry shopping setting

The question that guides this research concerns why consumers prefer to shop where they do for luxury goods. This study applies Tauber's (1972) motives, as representative of Sheth's (1983) nonfunctional shopping motives for luxury goods purchases. The study examines how well Tauber's motives describe consumers’ shopping motivations at each retail outlet in a jewelry shopping setting. These retail outlets consist of store- and non-store formats. The study identifies motives that are considered most important by consumers and that contribute to their shopping preferences. This study also identifies demographic profiles of jewelry shoppers at each retail outlet. Jewelry shoppers are more influenced by functional motives than nonfunctional motives.