ABSTRACT
In the authors' view, compulsive buying and shopping addiction, which are the focus of the next section of this chapter, are chronic forms of compensatory consumption behaviour. Facets of the phenomenon mentioned by O'Cuinn and Faber (1989) also add weight to this proposition. For example, they highlight the fact that for nlany people compulsive buying seems to be strongly tied to their need for affection and support from others. In other the authors believe this can be interpreted as meaning that they are responding to a perceived 'lack' (suggested by the author in italics). Informants in their study spoke of their need to lead more exciting lives (a lack of exciternenti'), 'feel alive' (a lack of life? As in 'get a life!', to coin a highly illustrative phrase) and to be stimulated by their surroundings (a lack of stimulation; boredom?).
