This qualitative exploration aimed to unravel retail therapy through the participants' lived shopping experiences. To address the study's objective, a phenomenological design was employed. Data were gathered through a semi-structured, conversational interview with nine purposively sampled participants. Individuals who have experienced significant life events and subsequently engaged in shopping to manage, cope with, or regulate their emotional responses are included in the selection criteria. Five were interviewed via Zoom, and four were interviewed face-to-face. Data were analyzed using Moustakas' data analysis procedure. From the interview results, six themes emerged: Taking Back Control: Reclaiming Personal Power Through Shopping; Comfort-Seeking Through Consumption: Shopping as Emotional Self-Soothing; Living Beyond Scarcity: Embracing Abundance and Personal Freedom; Curating Identity Through Strategic Shopping; Shifting Toward Value-Driven Shopping; and Embracing Intentional and Purposeful Shopping. The study suggests that retail therapy extends beyond mood regulation and serves as a means for individuals to celebrate life transitions, reconstruct personal identities, fulfill long-deferred aspirations, affirm personal achievements and big wins, and derive meaning from significant life events. Although these findings are grounded in participants' lived experiences, the study indicates that the therapeutic value of shopping is rooted in the personal meanings they assign to their shopping activities. The findings can offer insights for retailers seeking to design shopping experiences that address consumers' emotional and identity-related motivations. Furthermore, the study contributes to consumer behavior literature by illuminating the symbolic and transcendental dimensions of shopping as a transformative experience during significant life events.

Authors:
Liza Mae Nismal, University of St. La Salle Bacolod, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Liza Mae P. Nismal is currently the Program Chair of BSBA Marketing Management, one of the biggest program in the College of Business and Accountancy of the University of St. La Salle.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

Bookmark