Experiential purchases, as memorable moments in consumers’ lives, trigger nostalgia

Abstract

In three studies, we examined the effect of experiential purchases on nostalgia by influencing the construal of experiential purchases as more meaningful life moments than their material counterparts. In study 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to an experiential or a material purchase condition. After, participants answered a battery of questionnaires assessing nostalgia, construal of meaningful life moments and memories, pride, repurchase intention, materialism, and preference for experiential buying. Results showed that recalling an experiential purchase led to higher nostalgia than recalling a material purchase by influencing the construal of experiential purchases as more meaningful life moments and memories. In addition, experiential purchases also had an indirect, positive effect on repurchase intention. In study 3, we manipulated the proposed mediator and found that participants who were asked to recall a purchase that presented a meaningful moment reported higher nostalgia than participants who were asked to recall a purchase that represented an ordinary moment. The indirect effect of the experimental condition on repurchase intention was also significant. The implications of the results were discussed.

Experiential purchases and feeling autonomous: Their implications for gratitude and ease of justification

“…Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: experiential or material purchase condition. Participants read the following instructions taken from previous studies (e.g., Mann and Gilovich, 2016 ; Puente-Díaz and Cavazos-Arroyo, 2021a ):…”

“…We review the relevant literature to justify our proposition that recalling experiential purchases should lead consumers to feel more autonomous than recalling their material counterparts because experiential purchases are more aligned with the true self. One study showed that experiential purchases were construed as more meaningful moments in consumer’s lives than their material counterparts ( Puente-Díaz and Cavazos-Arroyo, 2021a ). Similarly, experiential gifts were also construed as more meaningful moments in consumers’ lives than material gifts ( Puente-Díaz and Cavazos-Arroyo, 2021b ).…”

Brand Anticipation in an Era of Uncertainty: Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Companies' Future Anticipation Efforts

“…Brands have a significant role for companies and consumers, where consumers shape their identity through their products. In contrast, companies benefit financially and have good consumer relationships, leading to increased profits (Puente-Díaz & Cavazos-Arroyo, 2021). Brand building is also vital in motivating internal stakeholders, especially employees who feel honoured to be part of the best brands (Goisauf et al, 2020).…”