The connection of attachment and self-gifting for the disconnection of loneliness across cultures

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, insecure attachments and rising levels of loneliness threatened consumers’ well-being across the globe. Insecure and lonely individuals lack interpersonal support for positive and negative events resulting in the utilization of shopping as a coping mechanism. The arrival of the pandemic collided with the existing epidemic of loneliness, exacerbating loneliness and simultaneously changing shopping as it once was known. By virtue of lacking support, insecure and lonely consumers may be more motivated to engage in a particular type of shopping known as self-gifting. This research examines a conceptual model across countries with samples from collectivist and individualistic societies (n = 610), revealing a universal framework to explain self-gifting motivation parallels for consumers affected by insecure attachment and emotional loneliness. Theoretical and practical implications provide cross-cultural research on the connections of attachment style and self-gifting to help the disconnections of loneliness in today's world.