Consumer Behavior

Do Panic Buyers, Compulsive Buyers, Older or Younger Age Groups Engage in More Retail Therapy during a Pandemic?

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine how consumers’ panic buying, compulsive buying, and age are associated with retail therapy during a pandemic. For this research, participants living in metropolitan cities in the US were recruited through the Qualtrics Panel service. Participants were 122 men (36.9%) and 209 women (63.1%) whose age ranged from 20 to 64 (M=40.06, SD=11.96). For data analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability, M/ANOVA, and Duncan test were used. Results indicate that consumers who exhibit panic and compulsive buying engaged in retail therapy during the pandemic. Consumers engaged in retail therapy as a way to alleviate negative emotions, to reinforce a positive mood, to engage in therapeutic shopping or to enjoy therapeutic shopping outcomes. These results provide fashion retailers with an understanding of the overall phenomenon of panic buying and compulsive buying with retail therapy managerial strategies.

Keywords: Panic buyers, compulsive buyers, retail therapy, Covid-19 pandemic

How to Cite:

Lee, S. & Workman, J. E., (2022) “Do Panic Buyers, Compulsive Buyers, Older or Younger Age Groups Engage in More Retail Therapy during a Pandemic?”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.16030