A new study has revealed that when consumers are rejected at a a high-end boutique, then their willingness to purchase the luxury products and desire for brand affiliation increases
According to the study, people are more responsive to rejection from salespeople who represent luxury brands than from salespeople who represent less-aspirational brands that are both more affordable and accessible to most consumers.
Results showed that study participants were also more willing to make a purchase when they related the brand to their ideal self-concept, the salesperson delivering the threat reflected the brand, and the threat had occurred recently.
Morgan K. Ward, Southern Methodist University, and Darren W. Dahl, University of British Columbia, said that their research highlights the fact that people are profoundly attuned to social threats and are driven to buy, wear, and use products from the very people who are disrespectful to them.
The study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research.