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Shopping with my mother: reminiscences of adult daughters
Author(s) -
Minahan Stella,
Huddleston Patricia
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of consumer studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.775
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1470-6431
pISSN - 1470-6423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2012.01131.x
Subject(s) - daughter , pride , psychology , value (mathematics) , dyad , coaching , feeling , purchasing , social psychology , socialization , advertising , marketing , business , machine learning , evolutionary biology , political science , computer science , law , psychotherapist , biology
Mothers and daughters are an influential dyad seen in US shopping malls, and their purchasing power is critical to the success of the retail industry. This study explores the longevity and relevance of that relationship to the development and maintenance of consumer skills and preferences. Consumer socialization theory has focused on the transfer of skills, values and knowledge, from parent to young child. Studies of intergenerational influences have yet to investigate the mother–daughter shopping relationship. This study investigates the transfer of perceptions and skills of shopping from mother to daughter, and daughter to mother, as seen by the adult daughters. We interviewed daughters aged between 21 and 70 about shopping experiences with their mothers. The objectives were to (1) gain knowledge of how daughters perceive shopping with their mothers; (2) uncover what daughters value in the shopping experience; and (3) listen to, analyse and draw conclusions about accounts of how consumer habits, preferences and experiences are transferred across generations and life stages. The study documents themes relating to pride in gaining independence, establishing social rituals, enjoying the reciprocal coaching and bonding. All the interviewees described their experiences of shopping as a leisure activity that was not associated with the transaction‐based routine shopping events such as supermarket shopping. We found that the importance of the mother–daughter shopping experience extends well beyond feelings of self‐worth resulting from astute choice‐making when shopping, and relates more to the value of the mother–daughter relationship acted out in a retail setting. Surprisingly, none of the participants spoke negatively about their shopping experiences. Finally, the strength of the maternal influence appears to continue throughout the daughter's life, including after the mother's death.