Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in adolescents' conspicuous consumption, and their attitude toward and purchasing behaviors for the imported luxuries and the famous brand clothing. A questionnaire survey was conducted to 570 high school students in Seoul; 538 were used for final data analysis. Factor analysis, cluster analysis, $\chi$$^2$-analysis, one-way ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple Range test were used for the statistical analyses. In terms of conspicuous consumption, three factors were formulated: brand and fashion orientation, others orientations, and prize and import orientation. Based on the factor scores, three clusters were identified: the inconspicuous, the others-oriented conspicuous, and the brand-oriented conspicuous. Regarding attitudes toward the products, significant differences were found in all attitudes. The brand-oriented conspicuous showed more favorable attitude toward the products than the other groups. Significant differences were also found in purchasing behaviors except the companions for shopping and purchase time. The brand-oriented conspicuous tended to purchase more, spend more money, prefer department stores, consider brand name and customer service as the most important criteria, and use impersonal informations sources when shopping the products. The other-oriented conspicuous tended to buy bogus products the most, use personal information and consider price and others' perception as important criteria. The inconspicuous were less likely to buy and spend money for the products.
