An exploration of compulsive buying tendency in a sample of online consumers

The nature of compulsive buying behaviour has been thoroughly investigated in “bricks and mortar” retail stores, but has not yet been sufficiently examined in the online domain. A sample of 299 online consumers completed a survey examining online buying behaviour, compulsive buying tendency, motivations to buy online and recreational Internet use. The study aimed to clarify inconsistencies in the literature regarding differences in compulsive buying tendency on the basis of gender, age, income and buying preference. The study also examined a variety of online buying motivations in relation to compulsive buying tendency. Significant differences in compulsive buying tendency were found on the basis of gender, age and income. No significant difference in compulsive buying tendency was found in relation to buying preference. The motivation to buy online for immediate positive feelings was a significant predictor of compulsive buying tendency, providing support for theories of compulsive buying that conceptualise this behaviour as a way to escape negative affect and modify subjective mood. An additional investigation into the relationship between Internet addiction and compulsive buying tendency indicated that compulsive buying tendency was significantly associated with excessive Internet use. Limitations and practical implications of the study are discussed.