Situational price sensitivity: the role of consumption occasion, social context and income

被引:249
作者
Wakefield, KL [1 ]
Inman, JJ
机构
[1] Baylor Univ, Dept Marketing, Waco, TX 76798 USA
[2] Univ Pittsburgh, Katz Grad Sch Business, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
关键词
hedonic need; household income; consumer reaction;
D O I
10.1016/j.jretai.2003.09.004
中图分类号
F [经济];
学科分类号
02 ;
摘要
Research on consumer reaction to price has been largely confined to examining consumers' price information search,evaluation of price alternatives, and individual purchase behaviors without regard to situational influences. At the same time, consumption has often been dichotomized in terms of its functional-hedonic nature and has been examined with regard to social influence. Surprisingly, researchers have heretofore not examined the potential effect of the consumption occasion or social context on consumers' price sensitivity. Further, research examining the effect of household resources on price sensitivity has produced mixed results. We argue that household income effects on price sensitivity are dependent upon the situation. This research addresses two key issues. First, we examine whether individuals are equally price-sensitive when purchasing products for functional (e.g., purchasing frozen vegetables or paper towels) versus hedonic (e.g., purchasing ice cream or cookies) consumption situations and whether social context (i.e., consuming the product alone or with others) influences price sensitivity. Second, we explore the interaction effects of household income and consumption context on price sensitivity. We examine these issues across a series of three studies, finding that consumers' price sensitivity is in fact attenuated by both hedonic and social consumption situations and that income moderates these effects. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed. (C) 2003 by New York University. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:199 / 212
页数:14
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