The Emerging Consumer Culture in Mexico

Mexico's emergence as a major economic force and member of the world-wide consumer culture suggests that research should be directed toward issues related to consumer behavior in Mexico. A negative by-product of the consumer culture is compulsive buying. The present study investigated the incidence and antecedents of compulsive buying in Mexican young adults. Findings suggest that a high percentage (6.7%) of Mexican young adults can be classified as compulsive buyers. Results of a step-wise regression found that credit card use is an important factor in compulsive buying. The perceived social status associated with buying, self-esteem, and perceptions of parental shopping behavior also were found to explain variance in the sample's compulsive buying. The above findings have important public policy and research implications.