Online counterfeit purchase behaviour: moderating effect of perceived anonymity and moral disengagement

Purpose The continuous evolution of e-commerce with young consumers’ growing interest in online shopping has transformed the retail landscape across the world. With the surge in online sales, counterfeits of luxury goods have also found themselves from brick-and-mortar shelves to online e-commerce sites. Against this backdrop, this study aims to understand and analyse young consumers’ online counterfeit purchase behaviour (OCPB). Additionally, it also aims at identifying the determinants that influence their purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach Following an extensive review of the literature, the present study pursued a quantitative approach in exploring critical demographic, psychographic, behavioural and situational factors influencing OCPB. The study was conducted in India through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. Findings The findings indicate that young consumers’ OCPB is significantly related to influencing factors like brand consciousness, fashion involvement, face consciousness, impulsive buying tendency, acquisition centrality and utilitarian shopping values. Furthermore, moderating effects of perceived anonymity (PA) and moral disengagement (MD) on OCPB were also observed and validated. Research limitations/implications The study examined the critical factors and their linkages while building upon a structural framework on OCPB, keeping India as a representative sample. The proposed framework will bring more clarity and further insights that will help scholars expand the research domain with more cross-cultural studies and aid brand e-marketers to strategize their action towards developing strong brand aesthetic values. Originality/value The study contributes towards the literature by introducing PA and MD vis-à-vis building a framework for studying young consumers’ OCPB.