Experiences of self-gifting luxury fashion during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Consumer behaviour is known to change during trying times as consumption has implications for the self. In fact, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in self-gifting. Adopting a psychological lens, this novel study explored females’ experiences of self-gifting luxury fashion during the pandemic. Given the under-researched area, an exploratory qualitative approach was adopted and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand participants’ experiences. A homogenous sample of four females were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to elicit rich data. Findings demonstrated that self-gifting of luxury fashion during the pandemic was a complex phenomenon that seemed to contribute to participants’ psychological well-being. The discussion links and extends the literature on self-gifting, luxury consumer behaviour and consumption during trying times. It highlights implications for academic research, individuals, brands and retailers.