Process or Outcome? Which Experience is More Important in Determining Shopping Satisfaction?

Abstract

Compared with online retailers providing delighted in-store shopping experience is one of the physical retailers’ advantages Experience can be conceptualized as two components: process and outcome This thesis investigates which component contributes more to influence overall shopping experience satisfaction In addition this thesis studies how shopping motivation planned versus unplanned and shopping companionship by oneself versus with peers moderate the shopping experience evaluation In one experimental study the respondents were recruited from Indonesia mall shoppers focusing on the Indonesia young generation who likes to do shopping especially fashion The finding indicates that purchase outcome satisfaction plays a crucial role in determining overall satisfaction regardless the shopping motivation or shopping companionship However shopping with peers can provide a buffer effect in process evaluation When shopping with peers a negative process experience will be felt better than when shopping by oneself On the other hand a positive process will be experienced less positive Similarly compared to a planned purchase trip an unplanned purchase trip can also provide buffer effect in process evaluation The findings implies that outcome satisfaction evaluation is objective Providing assortments and quality products to satisfy customers is the most fundamental issue in retailing Process evaluation is subjective and can be influenced by situational factors

Date of Award	2015 Feb 10
Original language	English
Supervisor	Ju-Faye Kao (Supervisor)