The relationship between consumer shopping stress and purchase abandonment in task-oriented and recreation-oriented consumers

Carmen-Maria Albrecht (), Stefan Hattula () and Donald R. Lehmann ()
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Carmen-Maria Albrecht: University of Mannheim
Stefan Hattula: University of Stuttgart
Donald R. Lehmann: Columbia Business School

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2017, vol. 45, issue 5, No 8, 720-740

Abstract: Abstract Shopping is sometimes a source of stress, leading to avoidance coping behavior by consumers. Prior research suggests that store-induced stress makes shopping an adverse experience and thus negatively affects consumers’ purchase likelihood. We propose that consumers’ response to shopping stress depends on their motivational orientation. The greater the in-store stress, the more likely task-oriented consumers are to abandon the trip without making purchases. However, recreation-oriented consumers will be, up to a point, less likely to end the trip. The results of four studies show that the functional relationship between shopping stress and purchase abandonment changes from monotonic and positive for task-oriented consumers to an inverted U-shape for recreation-oriented consumers. Evidence of goal changes provides a process explanation for the differing functional relationships. The results offer an alternative explanation for why people buy or not and suggest approaches to structuring the shopping environment to appeal to both types of consumers.

Keywords: Consumer shopping stress; Motivational shopping orientation; Purchase abandonment; Functional relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11747-016-0514-5

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