Rise of Mental Sub-Health Consumers: Examining the Compulsive Buying Behavior in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The aftermath of the pandemic may have changes in consumer behaviors and motivations for buying. This study aims to find and prove the underlying psychological factors of compulsive buying behavior under the conditions of social isolation. The structural equation modeling via partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was used to test hypotheses and conduct a multigroup analysis on a sample of 394 consumers (n = 206 for Utilitarian products, n = 188 for Hedonic products). The empirical findings reveal the significant relationships among perceived scarcity, perceived control, uncertainty, perceived severity through loneliness, anxiety, fear appeal and finally compulsive buying. Besides, the proved moderating effects show a significantly higher impact of anxiety on compulsive buying for those who buy utilitarian products and a significantly stronger impact of fear appeal on compulsive buying for those who buy hedonic products. This study integrates perceptions of the epidemic (perceived scarcity, perceived control, uncertainty, perceived severity) and mental-health factors (loneliness, anxiety, and fear appeal) in consumers' compulsive buying behavior during the public health emergency period and examines its actual impact, and extends the conceptual framework of compulsive buying by comprehending the theory of fear appeal, including product type as the moderating effect. Post-pandemic mental health problems lead to compulsive buying behaviorPurpose: The aftermath of the pandemic may have changes in consumer behaviors and motivations for buying. This study aims to find and prove the underlying psychological factors of compulsive buying behavior under the conditions of social isolation. Methods: The study employed structural equation modeling via partial least squares (PLS-SEM) and conducted a multigroup analysis on a sample of 394 consumers. Among them, 206 were purchasing utilitarian products, and 188 were buying hedonic products. Conclusion: This study advances our understanding of compulsive buying behavior during public health crisis. It integrates perceptions related to the pandemic and mental health factors into the framework, shedding light on how these factors drive compulsive buying. The study also introduces the theory of fear appeal and reveals the moderating effect of product type. Implications: The findings emphasizing the importance of addressing positive guidance information and tailoring strategies for the variation of the pandemic have practical implications for policymakers. Policymakers should take into account as much as possible the harmful effects on the public and keep people's lifestyles in a balanced state. The government should enable all sectors of society (suppliers, retailers, hospitals, etc.) to be prepared for the increased demands that are faced by a public health emergency to reduce negative emotions. Limitations: This study uses cross-sectional data and covers only one country. Further research should collect more data at different points in time, and conduct multicultural/cross-country studies to improve the generalization of the model and thus provide policymakers with more effective policies and response strategies.