Consumo de produtos de luxo falsificados: o caso de jovens universitários da UFCG.

Abstract

Currently, the use of falsified luxury goods is becoming prominent in Brazilian market. Falsification can be considered as products reproduction and unauthorized use of brands, in order to create economic benefits to fraudsters and, in other hand, to cause loss to companies. However, there are social and symbolic motivations that drive some consumers, such as the young public, to adopt this practice. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the consumption behavior of young students from Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) when it comes to consumption of falsified luxury goods. Hence, it was made a quantitative and qualitative survey, using a sample space of 392 UFCG students. The results expose the researched students’ profile, showing that 65,05% of them consume falsified luxury goods and the majority of the shopping occur at least once a trimester. The most purchased products by this public was clothing, clocks, purses, shoes and accessories like earrings and bracelets. The research also evidenced that young students consume falsified products to reach acceptance in their determined social groups and they believe that these brands represent social status, functioning as a social fitting element.