Luxury marketing : the impact of motivations as psychological forces on attitudes toward luxury restaurants

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Luxury demand has been on the rise in a variety of luxury markets including automobiles, travel, and hotels. Demand of full service restaurants has also increased. Recognizing this trend, luxury restaurant marketers require a better understanding of luxury market consumers in order to develop effective strategies. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of motivations including materialism, uniqueness, hedonism, and perfectionism on attitudes toward luxury restaurants, and to examine the influence of demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and income on attitudes toward luxury restaurants. The data were collected by online surveying consumers in Chicago, IL, using a random sampling. 231 respondents' questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis which included Pearson correlations, a simultaneous multiple regression, t-test, and analysis of variance. Results of this study showed that materialism, uniqueness, and hedonism motivations were significant indicators for attitudes toward luxury restaurants. The finding of the examination of differences in attitudes toward luxury restaurants influenced by demographic characteristics reveal that gender, age, and income were not significant indicators for influencing differences in attitudes toward luxury restaurants. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in luxury marketing by investigating how luxury restaurants can satisfy consumers' needs.