Purchasing Cosmetic Products: A Preliminary Perspective of Gen-Y

Contemporary Management Research
Pages 51-60, Vol. 8, No. 1, March 2012

Purchasing Cosmetic Products: A Preliminary Perspective of
Gen-Y
Uchenna Cyril Eze
Monash University
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Chew-Beng Tan
Multimedia University
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Adelene Li-Yen Yeo
Multimedia University
E-Mail: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT
The cosmetics industry in Malaysia is growing rapidly at an annual rate of 13%.
This is because of the increasing number of working women, increased urbanization, and the increasing self-awareness due to education. This industry is expected to grow steadily in the future due to the great demand for premium products. The research objective of this paper is to examine the influence of brand image, product knowledge, product quality, and price promotion on consumers’ purchase intention for cosmetic products. We used a survey questionnaire to collect 204 valid responses from
Generation-Y female consumers in Malacca, Malaysia. Data collected were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that product image, product knowledge, and brand image emerged with a significant influence on intention to purchase cosmetics. However, price promotion was not significant. Finally, research and practice implications were outlined including areas for future research.
Keywords: Brand Image, Product Knowledge, Product Quality, Price Promotion,
Consumers’ Purchase Intention, Malaysia

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INTRODUCTION
The word "cosmetics" is derived from the Greek word Kosmetikos, which means
"skilled at decorating". It refers to any of several preparations (excluding soap) that are applied to the human body for beautifying, preserving, or altering the appearance or for cleansing, coloring, conditioning, or protecting the skin, hair, nails, lips, eyes, or teeth (Britannica, 2011). The earliest archaeological evidence of cosmetics has been traced to Egypt around the 4000 B.C., as evidenced by the remains

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