Purpose:The rapid growth in the availability and consumption of counterfeit goods highlights the urgent need to understand the factors that drive consumers to purchase these fake products. This study aims to examine the purchase behaviour of the working class toward counterfeit products and identify the key determinants influencing their purchase decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted among individuals who had purchased counterfeit products at least once (N = 183). Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. To analyse the relationships among the variables, a combination of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) was employed.

Findings:The results revealed that purchase intention has a significant positive impact on consumers’ purchase behaviour. The NCA results further indicated that Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) and Purchase Intention (PI) are necessary conditions for Purchase Behaviour (PB) at initial levels to meet the threshold requirement. These findings enhance the understanding of psychological and behavioural factors influencing counterfeit product consumption.

Research Limitation:The study is limited to a sample of working-class consumers who had previously purchased counterfeit products, which may restrict the generalizability of results to other demographic groups. Future studies could expand the sample across different occupational and cultural contexts or use longitudinal data to capture changes in behaviour over time. Despite these limitations, the findings provide valuable implications for policymakers and marketers in designing awareness campaigns and strategic interventions to reduce counterfeit consumption.

Originality/value:This study is among the first to apply Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) in exploring purchase behaviour toward counterfeit products. It contributes to the existing literature by integrating PLS-SEM and NCA to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors shaping consumers’ behavioural intentions and actions toward counterfeit goods