Consumer collecting behaviour: A systematic review and future research agenda

Abstract Consumer interest in collecting is surging globally, with the behaviour prevalent as a hobby and for investment. Additionally, collecting is technologically advancing and continues to infiltrate regular shopping as a potent sales promotion tool, presenting marketing and ethical implications. Despite collecting's burgeoning popularity in practice, research is lagging. To address this limitation, the present study conducts a systematic review, consolidating over 30 years of research into the motivations that drive consumer collecting. Following the format of a domain‐based structured systematic literature review, the study provides scholars theoretical, methodological, and thematic guidance. Our analysis of the 51 journal articles reveals a set of six motivations driving the consumption of collectibles, including Achievement through Collecting Goals; Social Membership; Cooperation and Competition; Societal and Personal Memories; Legacy; and Financial Value. The findings from the review also illuminate several shortcomings in the literature and the complexity associated with the theoretical grounding of consumer collecting research and of its associated behaviours (i.e., acquisition through disposal). Future research propositions are presented in the Theory, Context, and Methodology framework that provides direction for the scholarly community and aids further theory development in consumer collecting research.