Just enough unless my community needs more! The necessity shopper scale and the mediating effect of connectedness on buying more
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing
ISSN: 2040-7122
Article publication date: 24 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer choice theory (CCT) and the law of diminishing marginal utility help to explain shoppers that value less and prioritize needs. Additional units provide a marginal return on investment. Buying more does not mean equivalent gains for additional money spent. The researchers developed and validated the necessity shopper scale (NSS) to study need-focused shoppers.
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers followed standard psychometric practices to create and validate the NSS. The researchers performed item development, data collection, exploratory analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and predictive validity analysis using survey data (N = 1,266).
Findings
Discriminant and convergent validity analyses demonstrated that the measure was distinct from existing measures. Predictive validity analysis found necessity shoppers (NS) are more likely to buy one over buy one get one half off (BOGOHO). NS were associated with a higher connection to community/group (CTCG). Higher hyperopia (i.e. disinclination to indulgence) with necessity shopping beliefs heightened this CTCG. A higher CTCG was associated with a greater likelihood to select BOGOHO.
Originality/value
NS (more connected to others) buy more to share with others, while buying just enough for themselves. Social connections are long-term investments involving more people and more needs to fulfill. Brands marketed with communal values and able to enhance social connections are discussed as implications to encourage NS to buy more.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Contribution Statement: SB: conceptualization, software data curation, data analysis, methodology, validation, writing-original draft, supervision, writing-revisions
JS: conceptualization, methodology, validation, writing-original draft, editing, added sections
ML: writing-preparation, conceptualization, visualization, writing-reviewing, added sections, editing
Declaration of Interest Statement: The authors whose names are associated with the manuscript certify having no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interests. This includes no educational grants; participation in speakers' bureaus; honoraria; employment; memberships; consultancies; equity interests; stock ownerships; patent-licensing arrangements; or expert testimony. Further there are no non-financial interests. This includes no affiliations, knowledge, beliefs, personal relationships, or professional relationships in the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript.
Data in Brief Statement: Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.
Ethical Statement: The project was reviewed and approved by the California State University, East Bay Institutional Review Board (IRB) September 15, 2021 (CSUEB-IRB-2021-149).
Funding Statement: Funding was provided by California State University, East Bay from the College of Business and Economics professional development funds.
Citation
Bok, S., Shum, J. and Lee, M. (2024), "Just enough unless my community needs more! The necessity shopper scale and the mediating effect of connectedness on buying more", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-04-2023-0129
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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