FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dr. James Roberts
Hankamer School of Business
Baylor University, Waco, TX
(254) 755-3523
E-mail: [email protected]
STUDY SHOWS MANY MEXICAN SHOPPERS ARE COMPULSIVE BUYERS
Compulsive buying could be "a real problem" in
Mexico, say two researchers who have been studying consumer
behavior in that country.
Dr. James A. Roberts, of Baylor University in
Texas, and Dr. Carlos Martinez, of Instituto Tecnologico y de
Estudios Superiores De Monterrey, say a "high percentage" --
nearly 7 percent -- of the Mexican consumers they surveyed
fit the compulsive buyer image.
"This is at the high end of previous studies which
found between 1 to 6 percent of U.S. adults could be
classified as compulsive buyers," their study points out.
They say the trend is inevitable with the
increasing presence of American companies, products and
popular culture in Mexico. This scenario "has undoubtedly
affected the shopping behavior and attitudes of many Mexican
consumers," they point out.
"One need look no further than the United States
and Mexico for an example of converging cultures. NAFTA has
helped speed up a process already underway."
The two researchers say earlier studies show that
Hispanics enjoy shopping more than non-Hispanics, and
Hispanics were also found to like the mall atmosphere more
than non-Hispanics. "Heightened enjoyment of shopping should
lead to more frequent shopping trips. In spending a lot of
time in malls, exposure to products will be increased and the
likelihood of spending will rise."
Similarly, they say, previous research has found
that Mexican-American consumers do not like to delay spending
money to achieve gratification and "have present-oriented
attitudes."
The easy availability of credit cards is another
factor. "The strength of the relationship between credit
cards and compulsive buying suggests credit cards and their
use should be at the center of any attempt to address the
issue of compulsive buying," the two professors say.
"As the use of credit cards becomes more widespread
in Mexico, compulsive buying and consumer debt will likely
increase. The introduction of credit cards in even the
poorest neighborhoods of the lower Rio Grande Valley in
Texas, whose Hispanic population is largely of Mexican
descent, led to soaring levels of consumer bad debt,
bankruptcy, and demand for consumer credit counseling."
The researchers say the marketing of credit cards
to vulnerable populations such as the poor and young could
benefit from legislation that restricts or puts
qualifications on how the cards are marketed.
They suggest that smaller starting credit limits,
minimum income levels and job tenure, debit cards where money
is deposited into an account and then the balance is "brought
down" would all be helpful methods to teach responsible use
of credit cards.
For their study Roberts and Martinez questioned a
random sample of college students (172 women and 109 men aged
between 19-24) from a major Mexican university.
They term as "interesting" the fact that they found
no significant difference between men and women when it came
to compulsive shopping behavior. In contrast, previous
studies in the U.S. found women to make up the majority of
compulsive buyers. The researchers point out that in most
Mexican households, Hispanic husbands traditionally make
important decisions relating to purchases.
Other factors they suggest lead to compulsive
buying in Mexico include heavy television viewing, the
growing middle class, the government's free market policies,
the privatization of Mexican banks, the increasing number of
U.S. financial institutions entering the Mexican market, and
the fact that checks are not widely accepted in Mexico.
Warn the researchers, "The emergence of Mexico as a
major economic force in terms of purchasing power and its
close ties to the United States suggests that compulsive
buying could be a real problem." They say it is "critical"
that Mexican government officials and public policy makers
have a clear understanding of the incidence of compulsive
buying and its causes.
"Compulsive buying has potentially severe
consequences for the individual affected, others around him
or her, and society at large."
For more information, call Roberts at (254) 755-
3523 (or [email protected] by e-mail).
Submitted by Alan Hunt
PR Dept.
Baylor University
(254) 755-1961
E-mail: [email protected]
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