Consumer loneliness: A systematic review and research agenda

Treading on the heels of the spread of the coronavirus, the loneliness virus has been capturing territories globally. Consumers are not immune to loneliness. Although academics and the general public have recognized the devastating effects of loneliness, the academic attention given to consumer loneliness (CL) is scattered and fragmentary. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the antecedents (predictors and alleviators) and consequences (consumer behaviors, emotions, preferences, attitudes, and cognition) of CL in various consumption contexts. This review also presents findings on CL as a mediator and moderator in consumer studies. This work adds to the growing body of CL literature by synthesizing the existing findings and knowledge. More importantly, we present a future research agenda by linking CL to significant research lines and detailed implications for practitioners in the marketplace.

Automated summary

This article provides a systematic review of the antecedents and consequences of consumer loneliness (CL) in different consumption contexts. It also explores the role of CL as a mediator and moderator in consumer studies. The findings contribute to the existing CL literature and present implications for future research and practitioners in the marketplace.