The rise of fauxsumerism was revealed in a recent study of 1,300 14-to-34-year olds in the US. These millenials [sic], born between 1980 and 2000 are browsers rather than buyers. The report found they create wishlists, both to engage with brands and for fun, with no intention of actually buying. Sometimes they don’t have the money to make the purchase but save the item anyway. There is even the suggestion that these fauxsumers get the same kick out of saving an item as they would if they had bought it.

Fauxsumerism is a mysterious trend seen among today's millennials (young people under 30). The phenomenon broadly refers to browsing for things you won't necessarily buy. It's a form of transaction-free online window shopping, which young people consider an endless source of fun.

In this Winter/Spring 2014 Cassandra Report: Consumed, we explore key findings from our latest research surrounding the evolving state of purchasing and transactions, including:…

The emergence of a new FAUXsumerist mindset, in which shopping is as much about product discovery as it is about purchasing and e-commerce has become its own form of entertainment.