Bigger, faster, stronger: The power of consumer endurance in persistent consumption environments

Unwanted and turbulent consumer journeys, such as mental illness treatments, infertility challenges,, and bitter divorces, are fraught with personal setbacks and significant marketplace challenges. Navigating these prolonged and sometimes unending processes demands substantial emotional and physical stamina. Drawing parallels with sports physiology, we explore how consumer experiences in difficult and unpleasant journeys contribute to the development of coping capital through a process we coin ‘Consumer Endurance’. Employing a multi-method approach that includes non-participant netnography, survey responses, and
in-depth interviews, we delve into the enduring experiences of individuals navigating persistent and increasingly challenging consumption environments. Our findings highlight how the pervasiveness of these long-standing experiences can become transformative, fostering the growth of positive resource stores essential for coping.