Limitations and Further Research

The focus of this research is on money, primarily as cash. However, people manage a range of resources in support of consumption in the marketplace. In addition to monetary resources, it is likely that consumers employ earmarks to manage credit, time, calories, and shopping. Credit is a vehicle that enables people to accelerate possession of offerings in advance of having available cash for the pur- chase. Research has found that consumers employ credit to attain desired offerings representative of specific lifestyles (Bernthal, Crockett, and Rose 2005; Peñaloza and Barnhart 2011). In addition, it is likely that people earmark credit and the resulting accumulation of debt differently than the ways in which credit may be positioned in the market. Time is marked by socially agreed on measures of minutes, days, and years—which, by their nature, are perishable (Jacoby, Szybillo, and Berning 1976). People recognize that time cannot be stored and thus allocate time to achieve their desired goals (Bergadaà 1990). In a given 24-hour period, people may allocate time for work, personal care, rest, and leisure. It is likely that people employ prosaic earmarks for time spent completing work and chores, whereas indexical earmarks allocate time for nurturing relationships or pursu- ing hobbies. Such allocations have been noted by health care scholars, who have found that people separately track support they have given to and received from others as dis- tinct from the support they receive from clinicians (Hamil- ton and Sandelowski 2003). Likewise, managing food intake on the basis of energy output may be a form of earmark. In addition to what is necessary for energy, people also may accumulate calories as a way to engage socially (Cappellini and Parsons 2013; Wallendorf and Arnould 1991). What types of earmarks are employed for different resources? Under what conditions are surpluses of one type of resource transferable to other types of earmarks? Further research is warranted to examine roles for earmarks across each type of resource employed by consumers in the marketplace and the potential relationships between them.

Scholars have found that consumers bring specific goals to the market that may support broader goals they have for their lives (Bagozzi and Dholakia 1999; Devezer et al. 2014; Epp and Price 2011; Haws and Winterich 2013). Fur- thermore, goal attainment is tied to consumer compliance with plans as well as success with supporting goals (Del- lande, Gilly, and Graham 2004; Devezer et al. 2014). For Scholars have found that consumers bring specific goals to the market that may support broader goals they have for their lives (Bagozzi and Dholakia 1999; Devezer et al. 2014; Epp and Price 2011; Haws and Winterich 2013). Fur- thermore, goal attainment is tied to consumer compliance with plans as well as success with supporting goals (Del- lande, Gilly, and Graham 2004; Devezer et al. 2014). For

The behavioral process of earmarks presented in this research is part of consumers’ preshopping experiences. Research has provided evidence that preshopping activities such as making lists, defining goals for the shopping trip, or identifying a trip budget affect consumers and their behav- iors in the marketplace as they spend money (Bell, Corsten, and Knox 2011; Stilley, Inman, and Wakefield 2010b; Van Ittersum, Pennings, and Wansink 2010). Although people may have a specified budget or a predetermined list, marketplace factors also influence spending (Van Ittersum, Pen- nings, and Wansink 2010). Specifically, people often enter the marketplace with imprecise lists (e.g., items vs. brands,

a lack of quantity information). However, research has sug-

Limitations and Further Research