🛍️ Shopping & Consumerism · IELTS Vocabulary by Topic · 20 words

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materialistic /məˌtɪəriəˈlɪstɪk/ adj	caring too much about money and possessions Some argue that advertising makes young people more materialistic.
impulse buying /ˈɪmpʌls baɪɪŋ/ n	buying things suddenly without planning or thinking carefully Supermarkets place sweets near the checkout to encourage impulse buying.
bargain /ˈbɑːɡən/ n	something bought for much less than its usual price Shoppers queued for hours to find bargains in the January sales.
brand loyalty /ˈbrænd lɔɪəlti/ n	the habit of always buying products from the same company Companies use reward schemes to build brand loyalty among customers.
purchase /ˈpɜːtʃəs/ n	the act of buying something, or something that has been bought More and more purchases are now made using mobile phones.
retailer /ˈriːteɪlə(r)/ n	a person or business that sells goods directly to the public Small retailers find it hard to compete with online giants.
discount /ˈdɪskaʊnt/ n	an amount taken off the usual price Students are offered a ten per cent discount at many shops.
e-commerce /ˈiː kɒmɜːs/ n	the business of buying and selling goods over the internet The growth of e-commerce has led to the closure of many high street shops.
splurge /splɜːdʒ/ v	to spend a lot of money on something you do not really need Some young workers splurge their first salary on designer clothes.
extravagant /ɪkˈstrævəɡənt/ adj	spending much more money than is necessary or sensible Extravagant weddings can leave young couples in serious debt.
necessity /nəˈsesəti/ n	something that you must have in order to live A smartphone has become a necessity rather than a luxury.
luxury /ˈlʌkʃəri/ n	an expensive thing that is pleasant but not necessary Owning a car was once considered a luxury in my country.
disposable /dɪˈspəʊzəbl/ adj	made to be thrown away after use Several countries have banned disposable plastic cups and straws.
counterfeit /ˈkaʊntəfɪt/ adj	made to look exactly like something valuable in order to deceive people Counterfeit goods are widely sold in tourist markets.
warranty /ˈwɒrənti/ n	a written promise to repair or replace a product if it breaks The laptop comes with a two-year warranty.
refund /ˈriːfʌnd/ n	money that is returned to you when you return goods Customers can ask for a full refund within thirty days of purchase.
shopaholic /ˌʃɒpəˈhɒlɪk/ n	a person who enjoys shopping too much and cannot stop Online shopping makes it even harder for shopaholics to control their spending.
status symbol /ˈsteɪtəs sɪmbl/ n	a possession that people think shows their wealth or high social position Expensive watches are often bought as a status symbol rather than for their function.
throwaway /ˈθrəʊəweɪ/ adj	made to be used once or for a short time and then thrown away We live in a throwaway society where broken items are rarely repaired.
frugal /ˈfruːɡl/ adj	careful to spend only a little money My grandparents lived a frugal life and never wasted food.