No Risk - More Fun? The Influence of Shopping Companions on Adolescents' Risk Perception and Hedonism

Stefanie Wenzel and Martin Benkenstein

SMR - Journal of Service Management Research, 2021, vol. 5, issue 3, 163-175

Abstract: Increasing autonomy in purchasing decisions within adolescence leads to a high degree of uncertainty. Previous research has revealed that assistance to minimizing consumer risk has been identified as one of the predominant motives for shopping with a companion. Even though accompanied shopping is a significant characteristic of adolescent consumer behaviour, only a few studies have addressed this topic so far. We conduct five studies to address this issue. Two laboratory studies and three field studies demonstrate that a shopping companion does not reduce adolescents’ perceived risk. Furthermore, this finding applies not only to teenagers, but also to adults. Based on these results, other factors and influences that determine shopping together are examined, as is their actual implementation. Two field studies show a positive effect of a shopping companion on adolescents’ consumer experience. Accompanied consumers enjoy shopping much more than solo shoppers, which mediates the relationship between shopping situation (solo vs. With a companion) and shopping experience satisfaction.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.15358/2511-8676-2021-3-163

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