How Good A Shopper Am I? Conceptualizing Teenage Girls' Perceived Shopping Competence

Academy of Marketing Science Review, 2006 by Palan, Kay M

"I tend to be an impulsive buyer. Not for everything. It depends. Clothes, I usually buy on impulse, but pop (soda) I buy where it is cheaper." (Dana, 14)

"I am much more impulsive, too impulsive. If I have money I instantly start thinking about what to spend it on. I just buy what I like and sometimes I end up wondering why did I buy that particular outfit or shirt." (Debbie, 14)

"I'm not sure if I really want the thing so I'll just get it anyway and then I'll have to return it or something." (Leah, 14)

The previous quotes clearly indicate a lack of self-control, which leads to regret. Many informants hoped to improve in this area and indicated that becoming less impulsive was related to getting older.

"I hope that next year in high school I will learn to be a bit less impulsive because it is a rule in our house that you have to start using more of your own money on certain things once you are in high school." (Debbie, 14)

"I think I'm getting better at it now. I think in a year or so I'll be fine with it. It's like not seeing a shirt and going crazy about it and buying it. I might like see a shirt and come back a few days later and decide to get it then." (Leah, 14)

face= Italic; Making Decisions Independently and with Confidenceface=-Italic; - Two aspects of decision making are perceived to be problematic by the informants. The first aspect indicated that informants found it difficult to make independent decisions--that is, they realized that their purchases are often determined by what others tell them to buy. This can be both frustrating and paralyzing to informants.

"This one time my mom and my sister and I went shopping and I didn't know what shirt to get and she (mom) left me and they went off to a different store and I wanted to ask her and I was going to try it on and everything and I couldn't find them and I was walking around the store trying to look for them and then I got really mad cause I couldn't find them." (Gwen, 14)

"I went shopping for school clothes recently with two friends and I found a top that I actually thought was pretty ugly. It had these little like cap sleeves you know that don't even cover your shoulders. I don't know it just didn't seem fashionable so I was going to try it on just for fun to see if it looked as bad on me as it did on the hanger but once I got it on the sales clerk came up and said that she usually didn't like that top on most people but that it really looked cute on me. I must have had pushover or gullible written all over my face because I ended up getting it and now I'm wondering why. My friends just laughed cause they know what I'm like." (Debbie, 14)

"I'll like listen to my friends' opinions, and I'm more likely to get my friends' opinions than my mom's because to me my mom has no taste. But I've got some friends and we basically have the same tastes, so those are the people I'll go shopping with." (Tina, 13)

"I ask my friends if they like it, and if they like it, I buy it. I say, 'Oh, this is cute,' and if they say, 'Yeah,' I buy it." (Carli, 13)