The impact of gender and culture in consumer behavior

Extensive research has examined gender differences across various domains, providing evidence on how men and women consume differently. While biological sex has been commonly used in the investigation of gender effects, how gender and culture interactively influence consumption is less known and has recently gained more attention. In this chapter, we review the role of psychological gender in consumption. Specifically, social and cultural factors such as gender roles contribute to shape the individual´s gender identity, in terms of masculinity and femininity, which underlie consumption patterns in a wide range of contexts from information processing and responses to marketing messages to consumption of appearance-enhancing products and gendered brands, gift-giving, and altruistic behavior. We identify significant gaps in the current literature that need greater attention and propose several key areas for future research to further extend our understanding of the influence of gender and culture on consumption.