By Lolwa Salem

KUWAIT: Consumer behavior in Kuwait is characterized by ‘habba’ culture, which is a Kuwaiti word for an item or a place that people become obsessed with for a short period of time. Trends and micro trends are essentially part of the fabric of Kuwaiti society and there is something new every week. As a result, Kuwait has a high consumption rate.

People in Kuwait have come to the point where they feel they no longer need to make their own decisions, leading to a lack of awareness of what people buy due to blind spending with no consideration of economic, environmental or social implications.

Nabeela, who didn’t give her last name, said that people in the country tend to be extra curious about what other people are doing, blaming her consumption habits on simply wanting to “find out for myself,” if things other people do are worth the hype. She said most of her purchases, such as makeup and hair products, except for clothes are motivated by things she sees on social media. Sarah Adel said social media has a great impact on her consumption. “I truly can’t remember the last time I made a decision that wasn’t based on a TikTok,” she said.

Buying things just because they are trendy means that most people begin to mirror each other. When people follow the same influencers and look at the same videos, they find themselves buying the same things, and then suddenly, individuality is long gone.

Another aspect to consider is the environment; when indulging in new trends every day, people end up discarding whatever items they bought that are not trendy anymore, which means that, on average, they throw away or discard items every week.

Saleh, who only gave his first name, said he tries not to fall for the bright lights and colors of advertising. “I try to finish my products until every last drop is gone, or only buy new jeans when my three pairs get a hole in them. Honestly! It’s hard in Kuwait with our society but I’ve saved so much money.” Saleh said that it’s not too late for others to be more mindful and think through their purchases. He suggests people ask themselves “over and over if this is a need or a want or if you already have one at home”.