Paper Details

Name: Neeru Jain, Ruchi Jain & Rakhi Tanwar
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume-12, Issue-2 (July-December)
Page Number: 16-26
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16812128

ABSTRACT
This review paper explores the psychological, cultural, and social dynamics driving consumer
demand for counterfeit luxury handbags. Despite increased legal enforcement and advances
in anti-counterfeit technologies, the global counterfeit market particularly for fashion
accessories continues to thrive. The paper investigates why consumers knowingly choose
inauthentic products, focusing on how brand desire, identity signalling, and status aspirations
outweigh concerns about legality or authenticity. Drawing on interdisciplinary research from
marketing, psychology, and consumer behaviour, it highlights how symbolic consumption
motivates consumers to seek visual status markers, even when they are not materially
genuine. Concepts like conspicuous consumption, face consciousness, and moral
rationalization are examined to understand how consumers justify counterfeit purchases. The
review also considers generational shifts, particularly the role of Gen Z and digital culture, in
normalizing fake luxury as a form of expression or economic rebellion. Moreover, it
discusses the rise of “super fakes,” the impact of resale platforms, and the challenges of
technological solutions like blockchain verification in addressing counterfeit proliferation.
The findings suggest that the desire for brand identity often eclipses the importance of
authenticity, prompting brands and policymakers to rethink consumer engagement strategies.
This paper contributes to the broader discussion on consumer ethics, luxury marketing, and
intellectual property protection by positioning counterfeiting not merely as a legal issue but
as a socio-cultural phenomenon rooted in aspiration, identity, and access.
Keywords:
Counterfeit luxury, Brand desire, Consumer behaviour, Symbolic consumption, Authenticity