I, me, and my everything: Self conceptual traits and compulsive buying behavior

• Published in: Journal of retailing and consumer services Vol. 68; p. 103075
• Main Authors: Moon, Moin Ahmad, Faheem, Shakeeb, Farooq, Amna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2022
• Subjects: Achievement vanity; Brand consciousness; Compulsive buying behavior; Emerging economy; Fashion apparel products; Materialism; Pakistan; Physical vanity; S–O-R model; Physical vanity; Emerging economy; Achievement vanity; S–O-R model; Brand consciousness; Pakistan; Fashion apparel products; Compulsive buying behavior; Materialism
• ISSN: 0969-6989; 1873-1384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103075

Compulsive buying behavior is detrimental to the well-being of the consumers, brands, and the economy. Therefore, the current study aims to understand how the self-conceptual traits and values underline the corridors to the compulsive buying behavior of fashion apparel products. We collected self-administered data from systematically selected 744 young shopping mall consumers and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) via maximum likelihood method for analysis. Self-conceptual traits (physical and achievement vanity), materialism, and brand consciousness play a pivotal role in the development of compulsive buying behavior in young consumers of Pakistan. Furthermore, the presence of materialistic attitude and brand consciousness in consumers firmly explains vanity-driven consumer's excessive, chronic, and unneeded purchasing of fashion appeal products. Policymakers and fashion apparel marketers should limit the excessive use of self-oriented and self-defining appeals in their marketing campaigns and focus on strategies that build consumer relationships with brands based on mutual benefits and welfare.
•Self-conceptual traits, materialism and brand consciousness play a pivotal role in developing compulsive buying behavior.•Materialism strongly explains consumers excessive, chronic, and unneeded purchasing of fashion appeal products.•Brand consciousness explains vanity-driven consumers compulsive purchasing of fashion appeal products.•Materialism and brand consciousness significantly and positively predicted compulsive buying behavior.•Study found a positive influence of physical and achievement vanity on brand consciousness.