Of Photographs, Souvenirs, and Ticket Stubs: When Do Consumers Desire Mementos During an Experience?

Charlene K. Chu and Suzanne B. Shu

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2025, vol. 10, issue 4, 419 - 432

Abstract: Consumers often desire mementos of their experiential consumption, as reflected in common behaviors such as taking photos during a special event, purchasing souvenirs while on vacation, or keeping ticket stubs from a concert, but when do consumers desire mementos during an experience? This research examines the timing of the desire for mementos during an experience, and the conditions and motivations that prompt those memento timing decisions. We propose that the approaching end of an experience increases feelings of sadness and thus the desire for mementos at that time. However, for experiences that are easily repeatable, the approaching end of an experience does not increase sadness and the desire for mementos. We find support for our hypotheses across laboratory and field studies that encompass different experiences and involve consumers undergoing actual experiences. Together, these studies provide insight into the understudied question of when consumers desire mementos during an experience.

Date: 2025
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