Why consumers favour or resist foreign brands: A systematic review of antecedents, mechanisms and moderators

Abstract

Consumers’ orientations towards foreign brands have been studied through separate constructs, including ethnocentrism, xenocentrism, cosmopolitanism, affinity, animosity and country of origin image, yet no review integrates them around purchase intention as a common outcome. This study presents a systematic literature review of 52 peer reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2026, following PRISMA 2020 and supplemented by umbrella review guidance for the meta analyses and reviews included. Predisposition towards foreign brands (PTFB) is used as an organising label and not as an established construct, and the evidence is structured into an Antecedents Mechanisms Moderators (AMM) framework. Antecedents form three clusters: outgroup oriented dispositions (xenocentrism, cosmopolitanism, affinity), ingroup protective dispositions (ethnocentrism and animosity, with patriotism and nationalism acting as distal drivers through ethnocentrism) and image based perceptions (cognitive and affective country image). Brand attitude, perceived quality and value, and consumer disidentification emerge as the main mediating mechanisms. Product category and involvement, national culture, economic development gaps and demographics are the most consistent moderators. The evidence base is largely cross-sectional, and important gaps remain in digital purchasing contexts, longitudinal and experimental designs, xenocentrism in African and Middle Eastern markets, and links with sustainable consumption. The framework offers researchers a basis for theory testing and gives global brand managers guidance on segmentation, localisation and country image positioning.