Up the Experience Purchase Quality

Experiences for sale differ from merchandise offered, where a physical product is delivered, and from service purchases in which the deliverable is intended to solve a problem for the consumer instead of with the consumer. Because of this, the metrics are different. How do shoppers evaluate experiences they’ve purchased and consumed?
     Researchers at University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Mississippi State University identified five dimensions. The researchers also found that when a retailer ups the experience purchase quality on these dimensions, the consumers become more likely to recommend the experience to others and become less sensitive to the pricing for repeating the experience themselves.

• Escapism. To what degree did the experience allow the consumer to remove themselves from the demands of ongoing life? Some physically punishing experiences, such as running marathons, can allow for high escapism. To improve escapism, eliminate references to fees once the experience begins. 
• Social congruence. To what degree does the consumer believe and feel that the expectations of others with whom the consumer participated in the experience were fulfilled? To improve social congruence, check that shoppers understand the nature of the experience and encourage them to bring friends they’re confident would share the pleasure with them. Or for consumers who prefer to “bowl alone,” allow for a minimum of social interaction. 
• Servicescape. How appealing is the physical environment in which the experience occurred? To improve servicescape, regularly monitor consumers about their preferences for temperature, noise, and aesthetic design. 
• Fun. How happy did the consumer feel during the experience and when recreating the experience in their memory? To improve the fun, provide memory aids, such as the opportunity to take away photos and gift shop souvenirs. 
• Uniqueness. How different is the experience from what else the consumer has done? To improve on this, recognize how what seems to be an identical experience can be different for the consumer. People might seek out details they missed before due to limitations of attention. 

     Not all five dimensions operate the same way for all experiential purchases. Customers put a relatively heavier emphasis on escapism and social congruence with shorter experiences, such as attending a concert. With multiday experiences such as a resort vacation, greater relative weighting goes to servicescape and fun. The importance of uniqueness depends on age. The excitement of novelty is more likely to be sought by younger consumers, while older consumers generally seek the calmness of familiarity.

For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology

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Reap Loads from Solo
Design Stores with Visual Aesthetics
Showcase the Appeal of Sentimental Souvenirs
Enable Shoppers to Revisit the Already Done
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