Purpose : To explore what motivated the customer to buy a counterfeit handbag and how the attitude of the customer led to a willingness to purchase counterfeit handbags.

Methodology : SPSS (24) was used to conduct the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). This was followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for further validation, and finally, path analysis was conducted using AMOS (20). Data was obtained from 582 respondents.

Findings : Four factors or statuses (Customers seeking novelty, customers seeking status, customers with a sense of integrity, and customers who perceived risks) were identified as influencing customers’ attitudes toward counterfeit handbags. This research offered insights into these factors by dividing the analysis into two parts. In the first part, factors influencing customers’ attitudes toward counterfeit products (positively or negatively) were analyzed. The next step tested whether that attitude led to a willingness to buy counterfeit handbags. It was found that only one factor, namely, “customers seeking novelty,” developed a constructive attitude toward counterfeit products. The other two – consumers seeking status, namely “with a sense of integrity,” and those who “perceived risks” in purchasing counterfeit goods developed a negative attitude toward the same. It was further found that formed attitudes, positive or negative, influenced customers’ willingness to buy counterfeit products.

Practical Implications : Genuine brand manufacturers of handbags must target customers who are status-conscious and law-abiding when making a purchase. This could be done by running a campaign against counterfeit products and making prospective customers aware of the harmful effects of such purchases on the economy and society. Since it was found that individuals seeking new ideas might end up purchasing counterfeit products, marketers needed to attract these customers through other functional and non-functional aspects. Organizations should monitor both offline and online marketplaces to stay competitive. As the study found that integrity seemed to be a significant influencing factor in attitude formation and willingness to purchase counterfeit handbags, this could be achieved through the legal route.

Originality : The current research is reliable, as it demonstrates a direct relationship between the factors underlying counterfeit purchases and customer attitude as well as the customer attitude and willingness to buy. However, no study has been carried out on counterfeit handbags.

1. Adapa, A., Nah, F., Hall, R. H., Siau, K., & Smith, S. N. (2018). Factors influencing the adoption of smart wearable devices. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 34(5), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2017.1357902
2. Akman, I., & Mishra, A. (2017). Factors influencing consumer intention in social commerce adoption. Information Technology & People, 30(2), 356–370. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2016-0006
3. Arora, M., & Mohan, D. (2019, April 30). Why most Indians purchase counterfeits. Fortune India. https://www.fortuneindia.com/opinion/why-most-indians-purchase-counterfeits/103166
4. Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/009207038801600107
5. Bagozzi, R. P., Yi, Y., & Baumgartner, J. (1990). The level of effort required for behaviour as a moderator of the attitude–behaviour relation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 20(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420200105
6. Bai, Z. G., Dent, D. L., Olsson, L., & Schaepman, M. E. (2008). Proxy global assessment of land degradation. Soil Use & Management, 24(3), 223–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2008.00169.x
7. Bhatia, V. (2018). Examining consumers' attitudes towards the purchase of counterfeit fashion products. Journal of Indian Business Research, 10(2), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-10-2017-0177
8. Bian, X., & Moutinho, L. (2009). An investigation of determinants of counterfeit purchase consideration. Journal of Business Research, 62(3), 368–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.05.012
9. Bian, X., & Moutinho, L. (2011). Counterfeits and branded products: Effects of counterfeit ownership. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 20(5), 379–393. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421111157900
10. Bian, X., Wang, K.-Y., Smith, A., & Yannopoulou, N. (2016). New insights into unethical counterfeit consumption. Journal of Business Research, 69(10), 4249–4258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.038
11. Boomsma, A. (2000). Reporting analyses of covariance structures. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 7(3), 461–483. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0703_6
12. Bupalan, K., Rahim, S. A., Ahmi, A., & Rahman, N. A. (2019). Consumers' repurchase intention towards counterfeit products. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 8(3), 973–981. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335219509
13. Byrne, B. M. (2013). Structural equation modeling with Mplus: Basic concepts, applications, and programming (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203807644
14. Cheung, W.-L., & Prendergast, G. (2006). Exploring the materialism and conformity motivations of Chinese pirated product buyers. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 18(3), 7–31. https://doi.org/10.1300/J046v18n03_02
15. Cordell, V. V., Wongtada, N., & Kieschnick Jr., R. L. (1996). Counterfeit purchase intentions: Role of lawfulness attitudes and product traits as determinants. Journal of Business Research, 35(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-2963(95)00009-7
16. de Matos, C. A., Ituassu, C. T., & Rossi, C. A. (2007). Consumer attitudes toward counterfeits: A review and extension. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 24(1), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760710720975
17. Dowling, G. R., & Staelin, R. (1994). A model of perceived risk and intended risk-handling activity. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(1), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1086/209386
18. Eastman, J. K., Goldsmith, R. E., & Flynn, L. R. (1999). Status consumption in consumer behavior: Scale development and validation. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 7(3), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.1999.11501839
19. Eng, T.-Y., & Bogaert, J. (2010). Psychological and cultural insights into consumption of luxury Western brands in India. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 9(1), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.1362/147539210X497620
20. Esin Akan. (2017, August 25). What makes handbags so appealing for women? https://www.esinakan.com/blogs/lifestyle/what-makes-handbags-so-appealing-for-women
21. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
22. Hair Jr., J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelweiser, V. G. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106–121. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-10-2013-0128
23. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
24. Hidayat, A., & Diwasasri, A. H. (2013). Factors influencing attitudes and intention to purchase counterfeit luxury brands among Indonesian consumers. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 5(4), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v5n4p143
25. Jain, K., Gautam, S., & Pasricha, D. (2018). The pleasure and the guilt-impulse purchase and post-purchase regret: A study of young Indian consumers. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(3), 49–63. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i3/121984
26. Jain, S., & Mishra, S. (2020). Luxury fashion consumption in sharing economy: A study of Indian millennials. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 11(2), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2019.1709097
27. Jiang, Y., Miao, M., Jalees, T., & Zaman, S. I. (2019). Analysis of the moral mechanism to purchase counterfeit luxury goods: Evidence from China. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(3), 647–669. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-05-2018-0190
28. Kar, B., Tripathy, A., & Pathak, M. D. (2021). What causes product returns in online purchases? A review and research agenda. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 15(4), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2022/v15i4/162837
29. Kazi, R., Singh, A., & Sharma, A. (2018). The relationship between perceived ad morality and behavioral intentions: exploring the mediation effect: Indian women's perspective using structural equation modeling. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 11(3), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2018/v11i3/122074
30. Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2011). Marketing management (14th ed.). Pearson Education.
31. Krishnamurti, S., & Gupta, B. (2017). Changing consumer behavior paradigms: Does gender and marital status influence grocery shopping behavior? An exploratory study. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(10), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i10/118693
32. Kwong, K. K., Yau, O. H., Lee, J. S., Sin, L. Y., & Tse, A. C. (2003). The effects of attitudinal and demographic factors on intention to buy pirated CDs: The case of Chinese consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 47(3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026269003472
33. Liao, C.-H., & Hsieh, I.-Y. (2013). Determinants of consumer's willingness to purchase gray-market smartphones. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(3), 409–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1358-7
34. Lopez-Nicolas, C., Molina-Castillo, F. J., & Bouwman, H. (2008). An assessment of advanced mobile services acceptance: Contributions from TAM and diffusion theory models. Information & Management, 45(6), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2008.05.001
35. Malik, A., Merunka, D., Akram, M. S., Barnes, B. R., & Chen, A. (2020). Self-concept, individual characteristics, and counterfeit consumption: Evidence from an emerging market. Psychology & Marketing, 37(10), 1378–1395. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21386
36. Mallet, P., & Vignoli, E. (2007). Sensation seeking measures [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t11318-000
37. Maniatis, P. (2016). Investigating factors influencing consumer decision-making while choosing green products. Journal of Cleaner Production, 132, 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.067
38. Mathieson, M., Peacock, E., & Chin, W. W. (2001). Extending the technology acceptance model: The influence of perceived user resources. ACM SIGMIS Database: The Database for Advances in Information Systems, 32(3), 86–112. https://doi.org/10.1145/506724.506730
39. McDonald, R. P., & Ho, M.-H. (2002). Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses. Psychological Methods, 7(1), 64–82. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.7.1.64
40. Michaelidou, N., & Christodoulides, G. (2011). Antecedents of attitude and intention towards counterfeit symbolic and experiential products. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(9–10), 976–991. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2010.549189
41. Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. https://www.scirp.org/reference/ReferencesPapers?ReferenceID=1867797
42. Panwar, S. (2021). Examining attitudes and non-price purchase determinants of counterfeit fashion products among consumers of Rajasthan (Doctoral dissertation, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University). Shodhgangotri. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14146/8857
43. Pasricha, D., Jain, K., & Singh, G. (2020). Antecedents affecting the purchase intention of millennials towards luxury fashion goods: A mixed methods study. Indian Journal of Marketing, 50(1), 24–41. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2020/v50/i1/149772
44. Petrick, J. F. (2002). An examination of golf vacationers' novelty. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(2), 384–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(01)00040-8
45. Phau, I., & Teah, M. (2009). Devil wears (counterfeit) Prada: A study of antecedents and outcomes of attitudes towards counterfeits of luxury brands. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 26(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760910927019
46. Phau, I., Prendergast, G., & Chuen, L. H. (2001). Profiling brand-piracy-prone consumers: An exploratory study in Hong Kong's clothing industry. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 5(1), 45–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007278
47. Phau, I., Sequeira, M., & Dix, S. (2009a). Consumers' willingness to knowingly purchase counterfeit products. Direct Marketing: An International Journal, 3(4), 262–281. https://doi.org/10.1108/17505930911000865
48. Phau, I., Sequeira, M., & Dix, S. (2009b). To buy or not to buy a “counterfeit” Ralph Lauren polo shirt. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 1(1), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1108/17574320910942187
49. Pires, G., Stanton, J., & Eckford, A. (2004). Influences on the perceived risk of purchasing online. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 4(2), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.163
50. Quoquab, F., Pahlevan, S., Mohammad, J., & Thurasamy, R. (2017). Factors affecting consumers' intention to purchase counterfeit products: An empirical study in the Malaysian market. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 29(4), 837–853. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-09-2016-0169
51. Ramayah, T., Ai Leen, J. P., & Wahid, N. B. (2002). Purchase preference and view: The case of counterfeit goods. In The Proceeding of the UBM conference (pp. 1–13).
52. Ramayah, T., Lee, J. W., & Mohamad, O. (2010). Green product purchase intention: Some insights from a developing country. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 54(12), 1419–1427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.06.007
53. Rathore, V. (2013, August 28). Luxury brands like Hermes, Gucci & others to take on faster-growing fakes in India. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fashion-/-cosmetics-/-jewellery/luxury-brands-like-hermes-gucci-others-to-take-on-faster-growing-fakes-in-india/articleshow/22107281.cms?from=mdr
54. Rishi, B., & Mehra, A. K. (2017). Key determinants for purchasing pirated software among students. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 12(1), 4–22. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTMKT.2017.081504
55. Rosenberg, L., Turunen, L. L., Jarvela, S.-M., & Arnould, E. (2022). The handbag. Consumption Markets & Culture, 25(2), 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2020.1756269
56. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
57. Samaddar, K., & Menon, P. (2025). Non-deceptive counterfeit products: A morphological analysis of literature and future research agenda. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 33(1), 93–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2020.1772348
58. Schreiber, J. B. (2008). Core reporting practices in structural equation modeling. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 4(2), 83–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2007.04.003
59. Scott, M. L., Mende, M., & Bolton, L. E. (2013). Judging the book by its cover? How consumers decode conspicuous consumption cues in buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(3), 334–347. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.11.0478
60. Sridhar, G., & Murthy, G. N. (2017). Influence of perceived risk and value consciousness on attitude towards music piracy. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(10), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i10/118694
61. Stavkova, J., Stejskal, L., & Toufarova, Z., (2008). Factors influencing consumer behaviour. Agricultural Economics, 54(6), 276-284. https://doi.org/10.17221/283-AGRICECON
62. Ting, M.-S., Goh, Y.-N., & Isa, S. M. (2016). Determining consumer purchase intentions toward counterfeit luxury goods in Malaysia. Asia Pacific Management Review, 21(4), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2016.07.003
63. van der Heijden, H., Verhagen, T., & Creemers, M. (2003). Understanding online purchase intentions: Contributions from technology and trust perspectives. European Journal of Information Systems, 12(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000445
64. Verma, S., Kumar, R., & Yadav, S. K. (2018). Why do consumers buy counterfeit products? A case study of the Indian clothing industry. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(7), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i7/129738
65. Wang, F., Zhang, H., Zang, H., & Ouyang, M. (2005). Purchasing pirated software: An initial examination of Chinese consumers. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 22(6), 340–351. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760510623939
66. Wee, C.-H., Ta, S.-J., & Cheok, K.-H. (1995). Non-price determinants of intention to purchase counterfeit goods: An exploratory study. International Marketing Review, 12(6), 19–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651339510102949
67. Wu, J.-H., & Wang, S.-C. (2005). What drives mobile commerce? : An empirical evaluation of the revised technology acceptance model. Information & Management, 42(5), 719–729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2004.07.001
68. Wu, Q., & Zhao, S. (2021). Determinants of consumers' willingness to buy counterfeit luxury products: An empirical test of linear and inverted U-shaped relationship. Sustainability, 13(3), 1194. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031194
69. Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299606000203