Exploring the Quality of Life and Luxury Goods Consumption From A Middle Eastern Perspective

This study investigates the influence of demographic characteristics on the life domain (being, belonging, and becoming) of Qatari consumers, which in turn influence their quantity and quality of life, and eventually on their interest in purchasing designer and luxury products and services. Results of a questionnaire survey involving 176 respondents have found that: (1) the indicator variables contributing to the overall measurement of the manifest or composite variables are valid measures of the underlying constructs of being, belonging and becoming, quantity of life, quality of life an interest (2) there were strong support for the positive main effects of the demographic variables on being, belonging, becoming, happiness, spiritual, shopping, quantity of life and quality of life, (3) physical being, psychological being and shopping had significant positive impact on materialism, while growth becoming had a significant negative impact on materialism indicating that the respondents were more concerned about improving their physical health rather than material things in their lives, and (4) that there were significant positive impacts of materialism and wishing on interest while the former has a stronger effect on interest than wishing indicating that Qatari nationals were more attracted by prestigious and well-known brands. A number of implications of the findings to practice are also given.