This graduate paper explores the increasingly common behaviour in shopping which in marketing is called compulsive shopping. There are many factors that affect the appearance and development of such behaviour some consumers have. A part of responsibility lies in various inherited predispositions for abnormal behaviour and functioning of men and women which are transferred from generation to generation. However, with every thorough examination of today's methods and marketing strategies, it can be concluded that great responsibility in the development of compulsive shopping and other milder forms of irrational behaviour like impulsive shopping lies in the consumptive way of life which is aggressively forced on men and women by major corporations. The whole social system which is based on capitalism and materialism favours the transformation of people to intensive consumers of many goods and services. Marketing methods are more and more aggressive and they violate human rights and business principles. For that reason, it's very important that consumers are well informed and aware of marketing tricks so they can protect themselves.