Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the notion of “symbolic purchase” which has long
been documented in the management and marketing literature. In particular, self-congruity theory has
been examined in various domains of consumer behavior. However, little attention has been paid to the
area of sport. In sport business, licensed-merchandise (i.e. team apparel) has become an increasingly
important revenue source and it strengthens fan identity and brand loyalty. Therefore, based on the
self-congruity theory, the aim is to investigate the effect of self-image congruence on sport