A psychological examination of attachment insecurity, loneliness, and fear of missing out as drivers of retail patronage among emerging adults

Abstract

Recent consumer literature has shown that attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious, avoidant) enhances individual's motivations for retail shopping. We extend that literature using attachment theory to explain how attachment insecurity, loneliness (i.e., social, emotional), and fear of missing out (FoMO) affect retail patronage. We posit that these three negatively valenced psychosocial conditions generally incline emerging adult consumers toward retail patronage to resolve their relational deficits. Based on results from partial least squares‐structural equation modeling (n = 509), we find support for most of our hypotheses. The study presents previously unavailable knowledge about antecedents of FoMO and multiple negative psychosocial drivers of retail patronage. We provide a foundation for future scholarship to examine more broadly how attachment, loneliness, and FoMO impact consumer behavior. Managerial and theoretical implications are also provided.