Literature on gay men and body image are examined in relation to shopping behaviors, with hypotheses developed to test whether one's body image affects consumer choices. The researchers studied credit card debt, shopping frequency, amount of time spent shopping, and shopping venue. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 213 gay men. Results indicate that Appearance Orientation positively affects shopping in a specialty store, shopping in a thrift store, frequency of shopping, and time spent shopping, whereas Appearance Satisfaction negatively affects television shopping. Thus, body image and shopping are linked. For many gay men, shopping may be a means of establishing or reinforcing cultural identity or a way to express individuality and novelty. Findings can be used by academics and practitioners in developing and examining innovative retail environments. Future research is discussed.
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