Psychology Commons^™

Graves, Gifts, And The Bereaved Consumer: A Restorative Perspective Of Gift Exchange, Jenna M. Drenten, Kristy Mcmanus, Lauren I. Labrecque

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

When a gifting relationship is disrupted by death, why might a living consumer continue to invest in it? Consumer spending on deceased loved ones does not end with the funeral. Given the embodying power of a physical gravesite, this article examines the practice of gift giving to the deceased in the context of American cemeteries. We employ a longitudinal approach, in which 180 cemetery gravesites were photographed. The photographic data are coupled with a netnography of grief and bereavement communities. Findings support a restorative perspective of gift exchange. Bereaved consumers utilize restorative giving as a mechanism to cope with loss …