Wearing community: why customers purchase a service firm's logo products

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to investigate customer purchase of a service organization's logo/branded merchandise as a type of customer voluntary performance behavior. Design/methodology/approach - The article employs three separate studies; two are conducted with customers of Curves, the world's largest fitness franchise, and the other is conducted at a weight-lifting gym. Two empirical studies test a proposed mediation model using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The third study represents a humanistic inquiry that elucidates the social influences that encourage a customer to purchase a service firm's logo products. Findings - The results show that a customer's integration into a service-based community encourages him or her to purchase the firm's logo merchandise. In addition, a customer's ability to identify with the firm mediates this relationship. The immersion of customers' self- and social identities in a firm emerges as a critical factor to enhancing their appreciation of the firm by purchasing financially lucrative logo consumables. Research limitations/implications - The article theoretically links customer voluntary performance with a customer's integration into a service community (ISC), organizational identification, and pooled associations. Because the concept of ISC is newly coined in this article, researchers are encouraged to develop the concept both empirically and theoretically. Practical implications - Service and retail managers should understand that a key to selling organizational logo/branded merchandise is to encourage customers to form in-house social relationships with other customers and employees. Originality/value - The article demonstrates that service-based customer communities are often lucrative for service firms. Customers may demonstrate their appreciation for commercially based friendships by purchasing and displaying the host organization's logo products.