Occasion Matching of Indulgences

Abstract

While much is known about how consumers choose products for purchase, less is known about how they determine the timing of their consumption. For certain products, consumers put substantial effort into this timing decision by trying to match consumption to a special occasion. Occasion matching happens most often for items that are considered indulgences or otherwise labeled as special-typically outside the consumer's regular spending, received as a gift, and/or valued above market value. Consumers who engage in occasion matching express concern about higher regret from using an item too early relative to delaying its use past an optimal time. As a result, use of an occasion matching rule can be non-optimal in situations where the consumer indefinitely delays consuming while waiting for a special occasion that is unlikely to arrive.

How and when does a used (vs. unused) account affect consumption behavior?

“…Past literature on scarcity might on the surface appear to predict the opposite of our results; that is, people might be less likely to spend their resources from a used account than from an unused account (Soster et al, 2014; Zhu & Ratner, 2015) or hold on to the resources that appear limited for a longer period of time (Shu & Sharif, 2018). For example, Soster et al (2014) found people were less satisfied when they spent from an account that had absolutely less (vs. absolutely more) in the account.…”

Toward a theory of conscious–nonconscious processing and getting hard (and easy) things done in everyday life.

“…If efficiency becomes an end itself in completing daily tasks, it is likely to undermine experiences in general and lead to the postponement of personal experiences due to waiting for the perfect “occasion matching” (Shu & Gneezy, 2010; Shu & Sharif, 2018). However, efficiency can also be a means to an end (a) when the delegation of task execution to nonconscious processes allows greater conscious attention to be focused on the experience of the action and (b) when everyday tasks are done quickly and efficiently so that one would have opportunities to do things h/she really enjoys doing.…”

Ending on a familiar note: Perceived endings motivate repeat consumption.

“…First, as reviewed, one’s final consumption opportunity for a while likely feels like an event that people may prefer to match appropriately (akin to “occasion matching”; Shu & Sharif, 2018)—and people might view something that is meaningful as an especially appropriate match for that moment (vs. something that offers purely exciting stimulation, for example). Broadly speaking, personal meaning is regarded as among the most elevated attributes with which to imbue an experience (King et al, 2006; King & Napa, 1998).…”

“…These diverse examples illustrate that, generally speaking, ending contexts impel people to choose whichever hedonic activities they think will help them "make the most" of the moment. Knowing that one is about to have one's last chance to enjoy an activity for some time may feel like an event that people will thus want to honor and match accordingly (Shu & Sharif, 2018). Returning to our research question, we ask: What kind of experience-a novel option or familiar option-do people pursue to make the most of the moment?…”