IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/prg/jnlpep/v2024y2024i6id881p731-763.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Conspicuous Consumption Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Alotaibi Mohamed Meteb

Abstract

With Saudi Arabia's tendency to implement a policy of economic openness to the world from the early 1980s, the phenomenon of conspicuous consumption (society of consumption and imitation) has increased. Due to the adoption of the concepts of economic globalization, changing consumption patterns, tourism and travelling and the spread of multi-national companies which market and promote their products over different mass media, this phenomenon has remarkably gone up. Over time, the effects of this phenomenon have spread to low-income groups, especially young people, and it has been a motive for some young people to earn money illegally to afford it. In addition, banks and financial institutions are providing financial facilities to individuals to finance unjustified conspicuous consumption. This paper aims to identify the concept of this phenomenon at the social, economic and cultural levels. It aims to clarify the most significant factors affecting this phenomenon and its subsequent economic and social effects and risks. Then, it provides suitable recommendations to curb this phenomenon spread in the future. This paper conducted social survey via a sample questionnaire for (300) respondents in three different areas in Saudi Arabia. The survey was conducted during the period from January 2023 till September 2023. It has used also Household Income and Expenditure Survey by General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in Saudi Arabia (2007, 2013, and 2018). The results of this paper indicate that social status and the dominance of customs and traditions, bank facilities and installment sales play a major role in increasing the phenomenon of conspicuous consumption in Saudi Arabia. This paper recommends rationalizing conspicuous consumption to reduce its negative economic effects in the future, achieving efficiency in the use of resources, reducing waste, and spreading the culture of saving and investment in Saudi society.

Suggested Citation

  • Alotaibi Mohamed Meteb, 2024. "The Conspicuous Consumption Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2024(6), pages 731-763.
  • Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpep:v:2024:y:2024:i:6:id:881:p:731-763
    DOI: 10.18267/j.pep.881
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://pep.vse.cz/doi/10.18267/j.pep.881.html
    Download Restriction: free of charge

    File URL: http://pep.vse.cz/doi/10.18267/j.pep.881.pdf
    Download Restriction: free of charge

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.18267/j.pep.881?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Micha Gisser & James E. McClure & Giray Okten & Gary Santoni, 2009. "Some Anomalies Arising from Bandwagons that Impart Upward Sloping Segments to Market Demand," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 6(1), pages 21-34, January.
    2. H. Leibenstein, 1950. "Bandwagon, Snob, and Veblen Effects in the Theory of Consumers' Demand," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 64(2), pages 183-207.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Томашевский И.Л.i & * & Аксенов В.В.ii & **, 2019. "Как Нерациональная Маркетинговая Стратегия Может Привести К Экономическому Успеху: Математическая Модель, Учитывающая Психологические Факторы," Журнал Экономика и математические методы (ЭММ), Центральный Экономико-Математический Институт (ЦЭМИ), vol. 55(2), pages 98-103, апрель.
    2. Finn Christensen, 2014. "Comparative Statics, Stability, and Uniqueness," Working Papers 2014-02, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2015.
    3. Francisco B. Galarza & Gabriella Wong, 2017. "The Impact of Price Information on Consumer Behavior: An Experiment," Working Papers 106, Peruvian Economic Association.
    4. Paul DiMaggio & Joseph Cohen, 2003. "Information Inequality and Network Externalities: A Comparative Study of the Diffusion of Television and the Internet," Working Papers 36, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies..
    5. Sergio Currarini & Carmen Marchiori & Alessandro Tavoni, 2016. "Network Economics and the Environment: Insights and Perspectives," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(1), pages 159-189, September.
    6. Kverndokk, Snorre & Figenbaum, Erik & Hovi, Jon, 2020. "Would my driving pattern change if my neighbor were to buy an emission-free car?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    7. Li, Hui & Xu, Yunjie & Huang, Lihua, 2021. "When less is more? The contingent effect of product supply limitation in the release of new electronic products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    8. Jingze Jiang, 2016. "Peer Pressure in Voluntary Environmental Programs: a Case of the Bag Rewards Program," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 155-190, June.
    9. Tong Wang & Xiaofang Wang, 2017. "Intertemporal pricing strategies for fashion tech products with consumption externalities," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Jun Honda, 2015. "Games with the Total Bandwagon Property," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp197, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    11. Mirta B. Gordon & Jean-Pierre Nadal & Denis Phan & Viktoriya Semeshenko, 2012. "Entanglement between Demand and Supply in Markets with Bandwagon Goods," Papers 1209.1321, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2012.
    12. Bernheim, B Douglas, 1994. "A Theory of Conformity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(5), pages 841-877, October.
    13. Cappetta, Rossella & Cillo, Paola & Ponti, Anna, 2006. "Convergent designs in fine fashion: An evolutionary model for stylistic innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1273-1290, November.
    14. Gaenssle Sophia & Budzinski Oliver & Astakhova Daria, 2018. "Conquering the Box Office: Factors Influencing Success of International Movies in Russia," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(4), pages 245-266, December.
    15. Ramalingam, Abhijit, 2009. ""Endogenous" Relative Concerns: The Impact of Workers' Characteristics on Status and Pro ts in the Firm," MPRA Paper 18759, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Denis Phan, 2006. "Discrete Choices under Social Influence:Generic Properties," Post-Print halshs-00105857, HAL.
    17. Ostovan, Nima & Khalili Nasr, Arash, 2022. "The manifestation of luxury value dimensions in brand engagement in self-concept," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    18. Budzinski, Oliver & Kohlschreiber, Marie & Kuchinke, Björn & Pannicke, Julia, 2019. "Does music quality matter for audience voters in a music contest?," Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers 122, Ilmenau University of Technology, Institute of Economics.
    19. Caravaggio, Andrea & Gori, Luca & Sodini, Mauro, 2022. "Endogenous preferences in a dynamic Cournot duopoly," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    20. Edwards, Chase J. & Bendickson, Joshua S. & Baker, Brent L. & Solomon, Shelby J., 2020. "Entrepreneurship within the history of marketing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 259-267.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Saudi Arabia; consumption theory; rationality; conspicuous consumption; luxury goods;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpep:v:2024:y:2024:i:6:id:881:p:731-763. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Stanislav Vojir (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/uevsecz.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.