A Literature Review of Compulsive Buying – A Marketing Perspective

Compulsive buying is a form of addictive consumption where consumers purchase goods that they either don’t need or can’t afford. This paper reviews the literature on this problem behavior and summarizes the findings in the following three areas: conceptual definition, reasons “why” consumers engage in this type of addictive consumption, predictors of compulsive shoppers and the correlation with marketing tactics. Discussion on ethicality of marketing as a risk factor for compulsive buying is also discussed along with suggestions for future research.