Consumption Communities
The idea of communal consumption is not new at all. Community members placing special emphasis on some type of consumption (e.g., food, drink, gifts) as part of a celebration, ritual, or tradition is the subject of considerable scholarship, as well as common lived experience. In consumer behavior, McGrath, Sherry, and Heisley (1993) documented the existence of a periodic community in a farmer’s market. This communal site existed only during the Saturday mornings in which the market was in business, and united participants in the creation and consumption of an old‐fashioned market experience (McGrath et al. 1993). Celsi, Rose, and Leigh (1993) noted that skydivers share a powerful communal bond that greatly affects their participation in this activity. McAlexander and Schouten (1998) report on brandfests of both Harley Davidson and Jeep that have communal elements. Yet, the study of communal consumption in which members are not physically proximal to one another is almost nonexistent, particularly when the communal center is a mass‐produced branded good.