Hedonism, Utilitarianism, and Consumer Behavior

This chapter introduces the volume, highlighting the topic and the main concepts. It addresses shopping orientation focusing on hedonic and utilitarian orientation, briefly introducing what they mean in the academic literature and for practitioners. Next, the chapter details the theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications expected from this volume. Finally, the chapter details the structure of the volume, chapter by chapter, briefly summarizing the content of each part of the volume.

This chapter provides a literature review of hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientation. It addresses their conceptualization and their dimensionality, as some studies envision them as opposite poles of one single dimension, while others as two separate dimensions. Then, this chapter shows how scholars are transitioning from a “static” to an experiential approach. In a static approach, hedonism and utilitarianism are envisioned as consequences of consumers’ personality and/or product and store characteristics, so that the same personality or characteristics invariably lead to the same orientation. Instead, an experiential approach conceptualizes hedonism and utilitarianism as the outcome of an interplay between consumer, product, and context that is unique to each shopping experience. Next, the chapter addresses possible sources of ambiguity in the study of shopping orientation, such as mood and store atmosphere. Finally, the chapter highlights the managerial relevance of studying hedonism and utilitarianism in shopping behavior.

This chapter addresses the constructs considered in the volume that will be conceptually related and empirically analyzed in the following chapters: namely, hedonism, utilitarianism, age, gender, price consciousness, frequency of purchase, perceived value, store loyalty, and purchase amount. Further, it addresses the distribution channels considered in the present volume, and the rationale for their consideration: intensive distribution and selective distribution. Based on the literature review advanced in the previous chapter, and bearing in mind the meaning and characteristics of the variables and channels presented in this chapter, specific hypotheses are developed within each channel individually, and between the two channels. Finally, the chapter briefly discusses some constructs excluded from the volume, explaining the rationale for their exclusion: time pressure, compulsive behavior, and motivations for purchase.

This chapter discusses the methodology that will be used for exploring the effects of hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientation. Specifically, it presents details about the data collection process, the tools, and the sample size. Then, it presents the scales used for measuring hedonism, utilitarianism, perceived value, purchase amount, store loyalty, price consciousness, and purchase frequency. It also addresses the concepts of measurement reliability and validity, discussing content validity, internal and external consistency, and convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity. Then, the chapter presents the final scale and discusses the specification of the structural equation model that will be estimated in Chaps. 5 to 7. Accordingly, this chapter discusses the tools and techniques for the analysis of the hypotheses in Chap. 3, and for the comparison of intensive distribution and selective distribution. Finally, the chapter provides details about model estimation and model comparison such as the analysis of residuals, and the chi-squared statistic.

Based on the methodological details provided in Chap. 4, this chapter tests the conceptual model and research hypotheses detailed in Chap. 3 within the context of intensive distribution. Accordingly, this chapter details the data collection process in intensive distribution, presenting the sample and addressing the scale’s reliability. Finally, this chapter presents the results of the analysis in intensive distribution. Specifically, it first tests the main effects of age, gender, price consciousness, and frequency of purchase on shopping orientation by means of an analysis of variance. Then, it tests the effects of hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientation on consumers’ perceived value, store loyalty, and purchase amount by estimating the structural equation model advanced in Chap. 4, and discusses the results in light of the hypotheses presented in Chap. 3.

Based on the methodological details provided in Chap. 4, this chapter tests the conceptual model and research hypotheses detailed in Chap. 3 within the context of selective distribution. Accordingly, this chapter details the data collection process in selective distribution, presenting the sample and addressing the scale’s reliability. Finally, this chapter presents the results of the analysis in selective distribution. Specifically, it first tests the main effects of age, gender, price consciousness, and frequency of purchase on shopping orientation by means of an analysis of variance. Then, it tests the effects of hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientation on consumers’ perceived value, store loyalty, and purchase amount by estimating the structural equation model advanced in Chap. 4, and discusses the results in light of the hypotheses presented in Chap. 3.

While Chap. 5 presented the results for intensive distribution and Chap. 6 presented the results for selective distribution, Chap. 7 compares the two distribution channels, addressing those hypotheses advanced in Chap. 3 that pertain to the comparison of the two channels. Specifically, it first compares the relationships among age, gender, price consciousness, and frequency of purchase and shopping orientation across distribution channels, by means of an analysis of variance. Then, using the LISREL stacked group procedure for the comparison of multiple groups, the chapter runs a simultaneous analysis of the same model on the intensive distribution and selective distribution samples, comparing the structural equation estimates for hedonism, utilitarianism, perceived value, store loyalty, and purchase amount between the distribution channels. The results are discussed in light of the hypotheses presented in Chap. 3.

This is the final chapter of the volume and is dedicated to the discussion of the implications of consumers’ hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientation. It is based on the results from the analyses in intensive distribution (Chap. 5), selective distribution (Chap. 6), and the comparison between channels (Chap. 7). This chapter presents and discusses the practical implications and recommendations for retailers and practitioners managing intensive and selective distribution channels, advancing suggestions for putting into practice the recommendations emerging from the findings about the effects of hedonism and utilitarianism on perceived value, store loyalty, purchased amount, purchase frequency, and price consciousness. Furthermore, the chapter discusses some future frontiers of the shopping experience related to possible distribution channels of the future, such as augmented and virtual reality. The chapter closes with a brief recap of the main conclusions that can be drawn from the analyses presented in the volume.