Commercialisation of new celebrations in Rural Kerala: The role of jewellers and textile businesses in shaping consumer spending and behaviour

Abstract

This study explores the role of jewellers and textile businesses in shaping emerging celebratory events and consumer spending among rural communities in Kerala, and examines how their marketing strategies influence consumer behaviour and household expenditure. A mixed method design was used, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. Primary data were collected from 100 rural households through structured surveys and interviews, while secondary data were drawn from published literature, reports, and market studies. Correlation, regression, and ANOVA were used for the quantitative analysis, supported by thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The results show a strong positive correlation between jewellery expenditure and total celebration expenditure (r equal to 0.80) and a moderate positive correlation for textile expenditure (r equal to 0.52), with jewellery and textile spending jointly explaining 94.6 percent of the variation in total celebration expenditure. The study further finds that jewellery and textile marketing strategies significantly influence rural consumer behaviour, which in turn shapes the emergence of new celebratory events and drives higher household spending. Digital marketing and aspirational consumption emerge as increasingly important drivers of these trends. By linking commercialisation, consumer behaviour, and cultural change in an empirically understudied rural setting, the study offers practical direction to marketers, policy makers, and researchers on designing sustainable and culturally appropriate marketing strategies for rural consumers.