An exploration into renting as consumption behavior

Abstract This article describes an initial, exploratory look at a quickly growing new type of consumption behavior, renting. Insights about renting are generated from a small, qualitative study of rental behavior and motives. As an initial cut at conceptualizing and understanding rental consumption, a wide range of topics are considered, including instant gratification, postpurchase dissonance, self‐exploration, cultivation of rental items, and some implications of renting regarding materialism. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.