Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Literature review - Essay Example Marketers are offering opportunities to customize the products. People have a desire to be unique. They pursue self-uniqueness in characteristic ways. The variables associated with compulsive buying tend to be restricted to marketing variables related to mass media like advertising contents and television viewing, socio-environmental variables like family and peer influences, and personal characteristics related to personality traits and demographics (Park & Burns, 2005). Today consumer buying is more fashion-related. Compulsive buyers are very likely to be conscious of how they look and appear to others. Credit card usage has been found to be an influential factor in compulsive buying. High level of impulsive buying is also a form of compulsive buying. Shoham and Brencic (2003) contend that the higher the unplanned purchases, the higher the compulsive purchase tendency. The higher the tendency to buy items off their product list, the higher is the compulsive purchase tendency. Compulsive buying is influenced by demographic and behavioral elements. This helps to understand the dynamics of consumer behavior. Shopping for some is a relief from stress and pressures of everyday life. Getting involved in the entire process of buying helps to alleviate the consumer from the gloom and humdrum of life. Kwak, Zinkhan and Roushanzamir (2004) contend that compulsive buying must include two criteria – behavior must be repetitive and behavior must be problematic for the individual. Thus compulsive buying is a chronic repetitive purchasing that becomes a primary response to negative feelings. Initially people feel happy but eventually realize the harmful consequences when they are unable to stop. This is line with Gutman and Mills 1982 fashion oriented dimensions which suggests that ‘fashion leaders’ and ‘fashion independents’ describe themselves as different and standing out (Lynn & Harris, 1997). Such compulsive buyers will shop at departmental and specialty