Spiritualism versus materialism: can religiosity reduce conspicuous consumption?

Abstract

Purpose Due to economic growth and increasing the population of Islamic societies in the world, marketing studies have become more essential in these societies. This paper aims to study the relationship between Islamic religiosity and conspicuous consumption in Mashhad, the second-most populous city in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a case of Islamic societies in the Middle East. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected by a survey of 534 respondents in Mashhad and stratified random sampling was applied. Findings Unlike the majority of former investigations, the results showed that there is a positive relationship between Islamic religious commitment and conspicuous consumption. Furthermore, gender, social media and income are important factors in explaining the extent of conspicuous consumption. Practical implications Luxury companies can use the results of this research to invest in Islamic countries where there is a great demand for luxury items. Additionally, it is recommended for these companies to use the potential opportunity of social media which is extremely popular in Muslim countries to advertise their products to a large population at a low price. Originality/value The results of this study can challenge the conventional understanding of the relationship between Islamic religiosity and conspicuous consumption. According to the results of this paper, in the Middle East Islamic rich countries, it seems that Muslims have a positive attitude toward conspicuous consumption, although Islam disapproves consuming excessively by the notion of Israf.