Experiential purchases, as memorable moments in consumers’ lives, trigger nostalgia

Abstract

In three studies, we examined the effect of experiential purchases on nostalgia by influencing the construal of experiential purchases as more meaningful life moments than their material counterparts. In study 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to an experiential or a material purchase condition. After, participants answered a battery of questionnaires assessing nostalgia, construal of meaningful life moments and memories, pride, repurchase intention, materialism, and preference for experiential buying. Results showed that recalling an experiential purchase led to higher nostalgia than recalling a material purchase by influencing the construal of experiential purchases as more meaningful life moments and memories. In addition, experiential purchases also had an indirect, positive effect on repurchase intention. In study 3, we manipulated the proposed mediator and found that participants who were asked to recall a purchase that presented a meaningful moment reported higher nostalgia than participants who were asked to recall a purchase that represented an ordinary moment. The indirect effect of the experimental condition on repurchase intention was also significant. The implications of the results were discussed.

Keywords

• experiential purchases
• material purchases
• nostalgia
• autobiographical memory
• consumer behavior