Online and In-Store Compulsive Buying Among Metrosexuals, and Other Male Consumers

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory study of compulsive buying behavior among male, and specifically metrosexual consumers who represent significant purchasing power, but have yet to be studied in both online and in-store environments. This research has significant importance for public policy, consumer behavior and marketing. The literature has largely ignored specifically male compulsive shopping behavior, and particularly how this behavior manifests itself in different shopping environments and among different subsets of male consumers. Research was gathered via an online survey of 193 males with special attention paid to acquiring equal representation of both urban (potential metrosexuals) and rural consumers. The study shows that metrosexuals have higher levels of compulsive behavior than other males, but these differences do not seem to vary significantly by shopping environment. Finally, the study discusses both online and in-store compulsive buying by various product categories.