Intergenerational Influence in Consumer Deal Proneness

Abstract

Although there has been ample research on the correlates of consumer deal proneness, there has been little research on how deal proneness develops. In two studies of parent/adult–child dyads, considerable parent–child similarity both in overall deal proneness and in the pattern of preferences for particular types of sales promotions was found. Further, the second of these two studies indicates that parent–child similarity is mediated by communication between parents and their children and tends to be stronger among parents with a permissive parenting style. These results provide evidence that consumer enthusiasm for sales promotions is, to at least some extent, transmitted from parents to their children.