Venezuelan immigrant luxury consumption in the city of Medellin from the perceptions of consumers

Abstract

One of the most meaningful mobilization of these last years has been the Venezuelan immigration to Colombia because of the economic and social circumstances of the natal country. A large amount of people has taken the decision to migrate, with the aim of keeping the lifestyle they had in their native country at certain moment. e goal of this qualitative study with phenomenological method is to identify the dynamics and practice related with the Luxury consumption of the Venezuelans who reside in Medellín, A type of luxury that with the past of time, the technological advances and the social networks, has become not only earmarked to the elite, but has become to a more affordable, this is something that some authors defined as luxury democratization. An interview semi-structured was made with the goal to identify the motives of migration, lifestyle, and consumption behavior of 10 Venezuelan migrants residents in Medellín for more than 4 years. e answers obtained reveal the different situations and experiences that have been through the interviewees in their migratory process and the achievements obtained in Medellín. ese achievements have led them to a better lifestyle and economic stability that grant them to consume some luxury items. ey have achieved certain socio-economical status that allow them to generate not only a survival consumption like the imaginary that people have about the migrants, but a more luxury consumption according to their actual situation.