This document describes the development of a scale to measure consumers' evaluations of shopping experiences along two dimensions: utilitarian value and hedonic value. Utilitarian value relates to accomplishing intended goals like errands, while hedonic value reflects entertainment and emotional benefits like fun and escapism. The authors developed a 15-item scale to separately measure these two types of shopping value. They believe this scale can provide insights into consumer behavior and potentially explain some "irrational" behaviors. Future research could adapt this scale to other contexts and explore additional factors like informational shopping.

1. Work and/or Fun: Measuring Hedonic
and Utilitarian Shopping Value
테크노경영협동과정
안경민
BARRY J. BABINㆍWILLIAM R. DARDENㆍMITCH GRIFFIN
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2. Introduction
 This article describes the development of a scale assessing consumers'
evaluations of a shopping experience along two important dimensions:
utilitarian and hedonic value
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 The personal shopping value scale presented here asks the consumer,
“What was in it for you?"
 The scale dimensions are reflected in accounts of shopping's "dark side"
and "fun side”
 Additionally, an account of hedonic and utilitarian shopping outcomes
may provide insight into many consumption behaviors

3. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 The search for a precise definition of "value" has proved an enduring
endeavor for a wide range
 A review of this literature reflects its multifaceted nature.
Value in Consumer Research
 Zeithaml (1988) reviews this literature extensively and identifies four
common uses of the term.
• One definition simply equates value with price: "Value is price“
• Two other conceptualizations highlight value's key role in the
exchange process by representing the trade-off between costs and
benefits
• The other is more specific, expressing value as a trade-off between
perceived product quality and price.
 Here, value is "all factors, both qualitative and quantitative, subjective
and objective, that make up the complete shopping experience"

4. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 In this study, we consider value from this experiential perspective
 Value in this form is considered the key outcome variable in a general
model of consumption experiences
Value in Consumer Research
 Value is "an interactive relativistic preference experience . . .
characterizing a subject's experience of interacting with some object.
 A shopping experience could evoke value either through successfully
accomplishing its intended goal or by providing enjoyment and/or fun

5. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 A general view of value recognizing both
• (1) a utilitarian outcome resulting from some type of conscious
pursuit of an intended consequence and
• (2) an outcome related more to spontaneous hedonic responses
captures a basic duality of rewards for much human behavior.
Two Types of Shopping Value
 For example, people can gain extrinsic rewards (monetary awards,
prizes, etc.) from participation in competitive events,
 but they can also gain a more intrinsic, personal, and emotional reward
from competitively derived pleasure (Deci et al. 1981).

6. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 Utilitarian consumer behavior has been described as ergic, task-related,
and rational
 Perceived utilitarian shopping value might depend on whether the
particular consumption need stimulating the shopping trip was accomplished.
Utilitarian Value
 Similarly, two focus group respondents in our research discussed
"successful" and "unsuccessful shopping trips"
 Utilitarian value may be useful in explaining the "dark side of shopping"
 Utilitarian value may be most relevant in explaining shopping trips
described by consumers as "an errand" or "work"

7. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 Hedonic value is more subjective and personal more from fun and
playfulness
 Hedonic shopping value reflects shopping's potential entertainment and
emotional worth
• Increased arousal, heightened involvement, perceived freedom,
fantasy fulfillment, and escapism all may indicate a hedonically
valuable shopping experience
• Vicarious consumption can provide hedonic value by allowing a
consumer to enjoy a product's benefits without purchasing it
Hedonic Value

8. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 Participants in qualitative research have expressed statements consistent
with hedonic value's potential indicators.
 In other situations, the actual purchase act can produce hedonic value and
may serve as the climax of the buying process.
Hedonic Value
 Consumers may also receive hedonic value through bargain perceptions

9. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
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 Hypothesizing the strength and direction of the relationship between
hedonic and utilitarian value requires consideration of several factors.
• Gift-shopping is less enjoyable among consumers looking for an item
specifically requested by its recipient (Belk 1979
• Benevolent activity can produce a hedonic reward through self-
gratification that is useful in mood management
Dimensional Relation

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12. GENERAL DISCUSSION
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 The purification process identified 15 items best representing distinct
hedonic and utilitarian shopping value dimension
 The scale should prove useful in developing and testing consumer
behavior theory in a number of additional areas.
 Value assessed by the scale is quite likely to influence evaluations of
products purchased or considered while shopping
 Given that bargain perceptions relate to both dimensions of shopping
value, the measures may add additional explanatory power to traditional
product-choice studies
 Potential scale applications might help explain some apparently
"irrational" consumer behaviors.

13. Conclusions and Future Research
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 Future research is needed to develop scales similar to the personal
shopping value scale for other consumption contexts.
 Informational shopping is another potential utilitarian shopping element
discussed earlier, but not incorporated explicitly in the final scale.
 Future studies could include multiple levels of abstraction in a single
structural model.

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