In recent years, retailers have evolved to offer higher levels of hedonic value in shopping experience, thereby intensifying levels of the competition within the industry. The reason for success of President Chain Store Corporation¡¦s integrated marketing of whole store also is hedonic value. However, academic research on consumer reactions to these efforts is limited. This study focuses on the integrated marketing of whole store carried out by two leading convenience store in Taiwan, and investigates consumer reactions to these promotions enhancing hedonic value in shopping experience.Research results find that, hedonic benefits of sales promotion have positive relationship with customer satisfaction, word of mouth, repatronage anticipation, and resource expenditures. On the contrary, utilitarian benefits of sales promotion have negative relationship with those retail outcomes. And results show that the distinct categories of sex and age have different level of effect on the benefits of sales promotion¡¦s relationship with customer satisfaction, word of mouth, re-patronage anticipation, and resource expenditures. According to the research findings, this study provides useful insight for the further development of marketing strategies.

The development of internet is creating intense competition in social network sites nowadays. How to conduct users¡¦ loyalty to social network sites gradually becomes an important issue to operate long-term social network sites. The study attempts to examine how consumers¡¦ utilitarian value, hedonic value and social value affect their loyalty. Furthermore, this study examines whether the relationship is mediated by gender difference. The model and relationship are tested and validated by using PLS and data collected from 200 people having facebook accounts in Taiwan. The results shows that loyalty is strongly affected by utilitarian value, hedonic value and social value. We also find that the difference of gender has positive influence on hedonic value and loyalty and negative influence on social value and loyalty. The implication for research and practice are also discussed.

The invention of Internet affects human life style and also creates many innovations and applications of business models. Social Network Service, SNS, is an innovative application and business model in recently years. It changes the development and communication of current social network and gathers high-traffic viewers to create more business opportunities. However, what¡¦s value attracted users to use SNS. This study focuses the usages of SNS from the users of Taiwan area by empirical research. From the customer point of view, satisfaction and word-of-mouth could be relative to and affected by utilitarian value and hedonic value. Therefore, this study builds an applicable integrated model and uses Structural Equation Modeling, SEM, to analyze and approve the relations of constructs. The following is the conclusions of this study. (1) The theory of this study confirms fit indices in SEM, and cause and effect of each construct is very obvious to support it. (2) Utilitarian value can be measured by factors of sociality, convenience, and information availability; hedonic value can be measured by factors of adventure, escapism, and affiliation. (3) Utilitarian value and hedonic value affect customer satisfaction; customer satisfaction affects word-of-mouth. (4) Utilitarian value and hedonic value positively affect word-of-mouth, but providing a good customer satisfaction can enhance word-of-mouth. (5) Influence of hedonic value is higher than that of utilitarian value relative to customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth. It shows that the users prefer hedonic value in SNS. Therefore, this study can be the reference of business administration and academic research.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to understand female consumers’ behaviour within online shopping, in order to identify which features within three chosen elements, common within the presentation of women’s tops, reduce mental intangibility and stimulate perceived value. Design/methodology/approach - A standard qualitative study approached through two methods of data collection; interviews and focus groups, from which specific patterns and concepts were identified during the development of conversations. Research limitations - This study is limited to female students from The Swedish School of Textiles. The research will focus on three visual variables common within the online presentation of women’s tops. Originality/Value - This study contributes knowledge to online apparel retailers, enabling them to optimise their website product display, thus increasing their competitive advantage. Our analysis of the chosen visual elements will contribute to a further understanding on how to reduce mental intangibility through visual communication. Additionally by acknowledging how to influence customers’ perceived value, online retailers will be able to trigger loyalty. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion Management

Augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a new interactive technology that enables marketers to craft an immersive experience for customers. The technology complaints the physical environment with virtual objects, and thus have the unique power to put the (virtual) product in the hands of the consumer. This provides marketers with a new option for reaching out and engaging with customers. Although the AR market is estimated to grow exponentially by the year 2023, little is known about how AR-applications on smart devices influence customer experience. This thesis addresses the research gap by exploring how IKEA Place, an AR-application, influences customer experience. By using a conceptual framework of online customer experience we explore how different antecedents influence the experience with AR. Furthermore, the study also highlight the differences between a website and an AR-application, and thus give a more nuanced understanding about AR. As the majority of the research on AR-technology has a quantitative approach, this study was done through a qualitative study using a quasi-experimental design. The empirical result indicates that aesthetics, ease-of-use, telepresence and assortment influence customer experience extensively. Moreover, the result also suggests that hedonic value influences the augmented experience more than the utilitarian, and thus customers do not perceive the application to fulfil their utility needs.

[pt] Famílias de baixa renda representam aproximadamente 53 por cento da população brasileira e vivenciam situações econômicas e sociais distintas às vivenciadas por classes mais abastadas. Seu comportamento de consumo vem ganhando mais atenção da academia e do meio empresarial. Para examinar como pessoas de diferentes extratos sociais percebem a atividade de compra, atribuindo-lhe maior ou menor valor hedônico, conduziu-se um survey a uma amostra não probabilística, composta por consumidores de baixa e de alta renda. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que há diferença, entre consumidores de baixa e alta renda, quanto ao valor hedônico atribuído à atividade de compra. / [en] Low income families represent approximately 53 per cent of the Brazilian population and experience different social and economic situations compared with higher social classes. The consumption behavior of this segment is gaining more attention from academia and in the business environment. In order to examine how different income people assign more or less hedonic value to the shopping activity, a survey was conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of low and high income consumers. Results suggest that there are differences in relation to the hedonic value attributed to shopping activity by low-and high-income consumers.

Sport event marketing is an important issue within the research area of business. The purpose of this study was to analyze how service quality, hedonic value and utilitarian value influence the spectators’ attitude and subjective norm towards the behavioral intention of visiting the cross-country skiing event Vasaloppet. The study was based on the theory of reasoned action as well as the constructs of service quality, hedonic value, and utilitarian value, which were added as antecedents. A quantitative research approach with a face-to-face survey at the event and an online questionnaire was pursued. The findings show that in connection to the Vasaloppet event subjective norm correlates the strongest with behavioral intention compared to attitude. However, hedonic and utilitarian values have a significant correlation to attitude, but not towards subjective norm. Due to the type of event, no connections with service quality were detected. In regards of the international component there is no significant difference present between Swedish and non-Swedish spectators. Organizations can use these findings to further enhance the social aspects of visiting sport events when performing sport event marketing.

In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the conventional strategies employed by luxury automotive brands towards a more digitalized customer journey. This shift reflects the changing landscape of consumer behavior and the growing influence of technology in shaping customer experiences. Customers are increasingly seeking convenience, personalization, and seamless interactions throughout their purchase process, and expect businesses to provide them with engaging and immersive experiences, both online and offline. As a result, luxury automotive brands have recognized the need to establish a strong digital presence and leverage various touchpoints to meet these evolving customer expectations. Consequently, the purpose of this thesis has been to examine and understand how luxury automotive brands create luxury hedonic experiences online, as well as identify the key touchpoints through which hedonic value is created in a digital context. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative multiple-case study was conducted involving seven businesses operating in the luxury automotive sector. The research methodology employed a combination of semi-structured interviews and a structured questionnaire, and the empirical findings were thoroughly analyzed in conjunction with existing literature to discern similarities and disparities among the cases studied. The conclusion of this thesis reveals that luxury brands employ a multi-faceted approach, utilizing high-quality digital content, exclusivity, collaborations, innovation, personalization, customer-centricity, and top-quality customer service to create hedonic experiences. Key digital touchpoints include aesthetically pleasing websites, interactive features, social media platforms for community building, and corporate touchpoints that align digital experiences with offline luxury experiences. Moreover, this thesis can serve as a guide for future endeavors in this field, and researchers can utilize its findings as a foundation to further explore the implications for luxury automotive brands.

Background: The society has changed and become increasingly characterized by technology-facilitated interactions. Companies are starting to make use of self-service. technologies (SSTs), instead of interpersonal encounters during service deliveries. Customers’ usage of SSTs has been examined in previous research. However, previous studies have ignored the fact that different types of SSTs have different factors that influence customer's experience and decision to use them, increasing the relevance of examining one specific SST, namely private SST to achieve more accurate results regarding what specific factors that influences customer decision to use this type of SST. The reason for choosing private SSTs is not only because it is the most recent type of SST, it is also the type of SST that develops continuously with the increased use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify the most important factors influencing customers to use private SST. Research Questions:- What value judgement influences customers to use private SSTs the most? - What factors influences customers’ value judgements? Methodology: This research takes on a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. The chosen data collection method is performed through one independent survey. Conclusion: Hedonic and utilitarian value judgements have a positive relationship towards customer's decision to use private SSTs. The utilitarian value judgements have a greater impact on customer's decision to make use of private SSTs, in comparison to the hedonic value judgements. However, hedonic value judgements can still be considered as an important factor in influencing customer's decision to use private SSTs, as the hedonic value judgements still have a relatively strong impact on customer's decision to use private SSTs.

Detaljhandeln är en marknad som är under ständig utveckling och möts av nya utmaningar. Den hårda konkurrensen driver de verksamma till att arbeta med butiken och dess miljö som en konkurrensfördel. Det satsas och investeras årligen i stora ombyggnationer av butiker där detaljister planerar, bygger, förändrar och kontrollerar organisationens fysiska miljö utan att i många fall fullt förstå hur det påverkar ”användare” av miljön. Baserat på vad som skapar värde för konsumenter vid köptillfället kommer de ställa olika krav på butiksmiljön och således påverka hur de upplever det totala shoppingvärdet. Det blir därför viktigt att definiera konsumentens värdedimension för att också förstå butiksmiljöns betydelse och påverkan.Den hedonistiska värdedimensionen som syftar till emotionella värden så som underhållande och trevlig shopping har fått större utrymme inom detaljhandeln. Detaljisternas ökade strävan av en hedonistisk butiksmiljö som fokuserar på inspiration och upplevelse i butik har medfört att det utilitaristiska värdet fått mindre utrymme, en inriktning mer fokuserad på en behovsstyrd och funktionell konsumtion. Lite forskning har gjorts kring den utilitaristiska värdedimensionen samtidigt som många människor lever utifrån en alltmer hektisk livsstil vilket tycks innebära ett ökat behov av bekvämlighet och effektivitet i de sammanhang där de kan erhålla eftersökta varor.Studiens syfte är att undersöka och analysera betydelsen av butiksmiljön och dess faktorer för konsumenter vid utilitaristisk konsumtion. Studien ämnar också besvara hur detaljister genom butiksmiljön kan skapa värde för konsumenter vid utilitaristisk konsumtion. Då det krävs ens djupare förståelse för den utilitaristiska värdedimensionen och hur den påverkar konsumenternas uppfattning om vad som skapar värde för dem i butiksmiljö har studiens empir samlats in genom fokusgrupper. För att skapa förståelse för mönster och beteenden samt för att förebygga en spretig datainsamling har fokus riktats mot en typ av produkt. Då underkläder betraktas som en utilitaristisk produkt och som oftast exponeras i en hedonistisk miljö föreföll det vara en lämplig och intressant produkt att använda som undersökningsfall. Då underklädesavdelningen för kvinnor har större variation av produkter och modeller än den manliga avdelning, samtidigt som de oftast har större utrymme i butik styrdes urvalet mot underkläder för kvinnor. Fyra fokusgrupper genomfördes med kvinnor i åldrarna 23-59 år.Studiens resultat visar att butiksmiljön blev mindre viktig för konsumenter vid utilitaristisk konsumtion. Konsumenter lägger större fokus på att uppnå sitt köpmål och hitta efterfrågad produkt än upplevelsen i butik. Butikens förmåga att tillhandahålla och erbjuda rätt utbud av produkter var av störst betydelse för konsumenter vid utilitaristisk konsumtion. Det var också av stor betydelse att faktorerna i butiksmiljön underlättar och effektiviserar köpprocessen genom en tydlig layout och varuvisning, tillgänglig personal samt genom en lugn och behaglig miljö. Vid utilitaristisk konsumtion kan detaljister således skapa värde för konsumenter genom att främst erbjuda rätt produkter men också genom att skapa en tydlig layout, struktur, ha tillräcklig bemanning samt sträva efter en butiksmiljö som satsar på funktion framför inspiration. / The retail industry is a market experiencing constant change and new challenges. Tough competition pushes companies to work on their store environment in order to attain competitive advantage. Retailers annually make significant investments to plan, build, change, and control the organizations’ physical environment, and in many cases, without understanding how it truly affects the actual “users” of the environment. Based on the consumers’ preferences and value at the time of purchase they will generally have different requirements of the store environment and how they experience and evaluate it. As a result, it becomes important to define the consumers value dimension in order to understand the importance and effect that the physical environment has on the consumer.Whereas the hedonic store environment has gained more recognition, where inspiration and experience is in focus, few studies have been done on the utilitarian value which focuses on the needs-driven and functional consumption. At the same time people tend to have an increasingly busy lifestyle where an increased need of convenience and efficiency where they make their purchase is sought after. This study aims to increase understanding of the importance of the store environment and its factors in utilitarian consumption. The study intends to examine how retailers, through their store environment, can create value for consumers with a utilitarian value dimension.To be able to answer the research questions it requires a deeper understanding of the utilitarian value dimension and how it affects consumers’ view of what creates value for them in the store environment; the study is therefore conducted through focus groups. To understand consumers’ patterns and behaviors and to prevent a too wide data collection the study focuses on only one product. As underwear is considered a utilitarian product that people use on an everyday basis and mostly is exposed in a hedonistic environment; it appeared to be an appropriate and interesting product to use. In general, the women’s lingerie department will show a wider assortment of products than the respective department for men; as a result, the sample of the study was tilted towards underwear for women. Four focus groups were conducted with women in an age range of 23-59.The result of the study revealed that the store environment became less important to consumers with a utilitarian value dimension. Consumers put more focus in achieving their goal of a purchase and finding the requested product than what they experience in store. A store’s ability to provide and offer the right range of products was of the greatest importance for consumers when it comes to utilitarian consumption. It was also of great importance that the store environment provided possibilities for the consumers to make the purchase process efficient by providing a clear layout, simple exposure of the products, service and creating a calm and comfortable environment. In utilitarian consumption retailers can create value for consumers by offering the right products, creating a clear layout and structure, have sufficient staffing and aim for store environments that focus on function rather than inspiration.This thesis is hereinafter written in Swedish.