MARKETING NOTES AND COMMUNICATIONS

Why Do People Shop?

Do people shop simply to make purchases? considerations that are unrelated to an actual purchase? other than his or her need for products or services.

EDWARD M. TAUBER

Are some shopping trips motivated by The results of an explora-

tory study of shopper motivation suggest that a person may shop for many reasons

'T'HE field of consumer behavior has experi-- enced a dynamic period of growth over the past 10 years. It is frequently overlooked, however, that this broad area consists of three distinct activities: shopping, buying, and consuming. Considerable progress has been achieved in identifying the behavioral dimensions of buying, and a number of theories of buying behavior have been postulated. However, less is known about the determinants of consuming and shopping which are also of substantial theoretical and managerial importance. This article attempts to encourage behavioral research and theory building concerning shopping behavior by presenting some exploratory research findings on the question of why do people shop? Numerous writings have been directed to this question. For example, researchers have suggested that shopping is a function of the nature of the product,' the degree of perceived risk inherent in the product class,^ and the level of knowledge or amount of information about alternatives.'' All of these answers are directed at the question, "Why do people shop in more than one store?" (comparison shopping). Other authors have maintained that shopping is a function of location.
1. Richard H. Holton. "The Distinction Between Convenience Goods, Shopping Goods and Specialty Goods," JOURNAL OF MARKETING, Vol. 22 (Julv, 1958), p. 56. 2. Donald F. Cox, ed.. Risk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior (Boston: Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1967). 3. John A. Howard and Jagdish N. Sheth, The Theory of Buyer Behavior (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1969), pp. 286-295; and Louis P. Bucklin, "Testing Propensities to Shop," JOURNAL OF MARKETING, Vol. 30 (January, 1966), pp. 22-27.
Journat ot Marketing. Vol. 36 (October, 1972), pp. 46-59.

product assortment, and store image.'* Again, these are variables which help explain, "Why do people shop where they do?" (store patronage). The question considered in this article is, "Why do people shop?" (i.e., go to a store in the first place). The most obvious answer, "because they need to purchase something," can be a most deceptive one and reflects a marketing myopia which management has been cautioned to avoid a product orientation. This answer considers only the products which people may purchase and is but a partial and insufficient basis for behavioral explanations. It implicitly assumes that the shopping motive is a simple function of the buying motive. This article hypothesizes that peoples' motives for shopping are a function of many variables, some of which are unrelated to the actual buying of products. It is maintained that an understanding of shopping motives requires the consideration of satisfactions which shopping activities provide, as well as the utility obtained from the merchandise that may be purchased. If needs other than those associated with particular products motivate people to go to a store, the retailer should incorporate this information into his marketing strategy.
Methodology

An exploratory study was undertaken to determine some reasons why people shop. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted in the Los Angeles area with a convenience sample of 30 people, divided evenly between men and women. Ages of respondents ranged from 20 to 47. Rather than a direct approach in questioning subjects as to why they shop, respondents were asked to recall their most recent shopping trips (of any
4. Louis P. Bucklin, "The Concept of Mass in Intraurban Shopping," JOURNAL OF MARKETING. Vol. 31 (October, 1%7), pp. 37-42.

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Marketing Notes and Communications

47 timately entwined in one's daily activities and often ser\'e as symbols reflecting attitudes and life styles. An individual learns about trends and movements and the symbols that support them when he visits a store. Rich and Portis found that among department and discount store shoppers in New York and Cleveland, 30% said "seeing new items and getting new ideas" was the reason they enjoyed shopping.'' Many people are interested in keeping informed about the latest trends in fashion, styling, or product innovations. While such learning may take place with or without a purchase, a certain segment of shop|>ers for each product category is more prone to buying new items. Stores which are trend-conscious may appeal to these innovators.* Physical ActivityAn urban environment characterized by mass transportation and freeway driving provides little opportunity for individuals to exercise at a leisurely pace. Shopping can provide people with a considerable amount of exercise. Many retailers attempt to minimize the walking distance on their premises believing that shoppers perceive it to be an inconvenience. However, some shoppers apparently welcome the chance to walk in centers and malls that have been designed with intemal thruways. Sensory StimulationRetail institutions provide many potential sensory benefits for shoppers. Customers browse through a store looking at the merchandise and at each other; they enjoy handling the merchandise, and are either tr\'ing it on or trying it out. Sound can also be important, since a "noisy" environment creates a different image than one which is characterized by silence or soft background music. Even scent may be relevant; for instance, stores may possess a distinctive odor of perfume or of prepared food. Structured surveys that attempt to measure why people shop may not detect such influences since shoppers infrequently recall these stimuli in a top-of-mind response. Nevertheless, the gestalt of the shopping environment may influence a consumer's decision to shop in a specific store or mall.
Social Motives

type), to discuss their activities while shopping, and what they enjoyed about the trip. After considerable probing along these lines, the discussion narrowed to how various types of shopping differed, the subject's preferences for these different types, and his or her reasons. From the list of reported shopping activities and satisfactions, the author categorized the responses into a number of hypothesized motives for shopping, classified (ex post) as either personal or social. While exploratory research results can be evaluated only on the basis of face validity, some of these motives for shopping have been identified in previous studies. A number of these motives do not relate to purchasing interest.
Hypothesized Motives for Shopping Personal Motives

Role playingMany activities are learned behaviors, traditionally expected or accepted as part of a certain position or role in society mother, housewife, husband, or student. A person internalizes these behaviors as "required" and is motivated to participate in the expected activities. For example, grocery shopping is a customary activity of the housewife. Attempts to eliminate "food shopping" through home delivery and telephone order have to date been relatively unsuccessful. Apparently, the process of grocery shopping has positive utility for a large segment of women who view it as an integral part of their role. DiversionShopping can offer an opportunity for diversion from the routine of daily life and thus represents a form of recreation. It can provide free family entertainment which is available without the necessity of formal dress or preplanning. The common term "browsing" and the phenomenon of masses strolling through shopping centers reinforce the belief that shopping is a national pastime. Indoor shopping malls are in an advantageous position to encourage this activity through exhibits and other traffic-generating attractions that appeal to various family members. Self-gratificationDifferent emotional states or moods may be relevant for explaining why (and when) someone goes shopping. For example, a person may go to a store in search of diversion when he is bored or go in search of social contact when he feels lonely. Likewise, he may go to a store to buy "something nice" for himself when he is depressed. Several subjects in this study reported that often they alleviate depression by simply spending money on themselves. In this case, the shopping trip is motivated not by the expected utility of consuming, but by the utility of the buying process itself. Learning About New TrendsProducts are in-

Social Experiences Outside the Home The marketplace has traditionally been a center of
5. Stuart V. Rich and Bernard Portis, "Clues for Action from Shopper Preferences." Harvard Business Review. Vol. 41 (March-April. 1963). p. 147. 6. See Thomas S. Robertson. Innovative Behavior and Communication (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., 1971).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Edward M. Tauber is assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

48 social activity. In a number of underdeveloped countries, the market still serves as a gathering place for a town's inhabitants. Many parts of the United States still have "market days," "county fairs," and "town squares" that offer a time and place for social interaction. In urban environments contemporary equivalents exist in sidewalk sales, auctions, and swap meets. In general, shopping can provide the opportunity for a social experience outside the home (e.g., seeking new acquaintances or meeting those of the opposite sex). Some shopping trips may result in direct encounters with friends (e.g., neighborhood women at a supermarket); on others the social contact may be more indirect, as exemplified by the pastime of "people watching." Communication With Others Having a Similar InterestCommon interests are a major link in stimulating communication and association between individuals. Many hobbies center around products or services, such as boating, collecting stamps, car customizing, and home decorating. Stores that offer hobby-related goods serve as a focal point for people with similar interests to interact. People like to talk with others about their interests, and sales personnel are frequently sought to provide special information concerning the activity. Peer Grotip AttractionThe patronage of a store sometimes reflects a desire to be with one's peer group or a reference group to which one aspires to belong. For instance, record stores are common "hangouts" for teen-agers. Such stores provide a meeting place where members of a peer group may gather. This "shopping" attraction is not necessarily related to the motive of common interest since the gathering spot tends to change over time; in many cases the shopper may have limited interest in the product category and little intention to make a purchase. However, if group status is associated with one's knowledge of the category and nature of holdings (e.g., size of record collection), then peer group influence may motivate the person to "develop" an interest in the product. Status and AtithorityMany shopping experiences provide the opportunity for an individual to command attention and respect. In few other activities can a person expect to be "waited on" without having to pay for this service. A person can attain a feeling of status and power in this limited "master-servant" relationship. The general concept of a store is an institution which serves the public. Store personnel compete for the buyer's favor, especially in lines of merchandise where comparison shopping is likely (e.g., expensive clothes, durables). In such instances, shopping can be more enjoyable than buying. For some customers the enjoyment of this sense of power may con-

Journal of Marketing, October, 1972

siderably delay a purchase decision since it terminates the attention they are receiving. Pleasure of BargainingFor many shoppers, bargaining is a degrading activity; haggling implies that one is "cheap." Others, however, appear to enjoy the process believing that with bargaining goods can be reduced to a more reasonable price. In addition to this competition between buyer and seller, there also appears to be an implicit competition that occurs between buyersa type of ego-centered buyer competition. An individual prides himself in his ability to make wise purchases or to obtain bargains. In a face-to-face exchange with flexible prices, a perceived bargain would result when the buyer believes he has paid less for a product than others will have to pay the seller for the same merchandise. The presence of "fixed" labeled prices prevents the buyer from deriving satisfaction in this manner. To the extent that a person perceives himself as a wise shopper, he will seek bargains in fixed-price situations by looking at relative prices between stores (comparison shopping) or relative prices over time (special sales).
Impulse Shopping

If the shopping motive is a function of only the buying motive, the decision to shop will occur when a person's need for particular goods becomes sufficiently strong for him to allocate time, money, and effort to visit a store. However, the multiplicity of hypothesized shopping motives suggests that a person may also go shopping when he needs attention, wants to be with peers, desires to meet people with similar interests, feels a need to exercise, or has leisure time. The foregoing discussion indicates that a person experiences a need and recognizes that shopping activities may satisfy that need. Yet, retailers often observe that not all of their customers' behavior is so well planned. In the same way that a person may walk down an aisle viewing merchandise and buying on impulse, he may also drive or walk down a street viewing stores and deciding to enter on impulse. The likelihood of going shopping on impulse has probably increased over time with changes in the concept of convenience. Gravitationalists^ and behaviorists** have traditionally evaluated a store's attraction power in terms of the number of potential customers within a given radius of a store, or from the viewpoint of the customer's convenience, distance (or time) traveled from his
7. See P. D. Converse, "New Laws of Retail Gravitation," JOURNAL OF MARKETING, Vol. 14 (October, 1949), pp. 379-384. 8. See David L. HufT, "Defining and Estimating a Trading Area," JOURNAL OF MARKETING. Vol. 28 (July, 1964) pp. 34-38.

Marketing Notes and Communications

49

home to that store. However, Robarts suggests that a number of nonretail spatial attractors may also influence a shopper's store patronage decision: e.g., employment, social, religious, education, club, or recreational activities.^ Thus, shopping convenience would be determined by "the spatial juxtapositions of the greatest number of retail and non-retail attractors."'o Since many people spend relatively little time at home, a definition of convenience which uses the home as the focal point may be misleading. The existence of modem transportation and the availability of increasing amounts of discretionary time serve to e.xpose people to many shopping clusters while in transit to their job, or social and recreational activities. This mobility increases exposure to new shopping alternatives and enhances opportunities for impulse shopping. The sight of a store may serve as a reminder to purchase needed items. On the other hand, impulse shopping may be prompted by one of the motives identified above with no planned purchase intended.
Summary and Implications

It is important to recognize the distinction between the activities of shopping, buying, and consuming and to understand the behavioral determinants of each. A unified theory of shopper behavior does not presently exist. This exploratory study has sought to advance the development of such a theory by identifying a number of hypotheses concerning why people shop. Future research should attempt toquantify the relative importance of these motives (and others that might be discovered) for different types of shopping trips and within different defined shopper segments. If the findings reported here are verified, there are substantial implications for retail management. If the shopping process offers benefits other than exposure to products, then retail innovations that attempt to reduce "shopping effort" (vending machines, mail order, or home delivery) may have a dim future for some product categories. Automatic vending of convenience goods, especially confectionary items and cigarettes, has had notable success, but efforts to market presold grocery items in this manner have not been successful.''
9. A. O. Robarts, "A Revised Look at Selected Determinants of Consumer Spatial Behavior," in Proceedings. Thirteenth Annual Conference, Association of Canadian Schools of Business (Summer, 1969). 10. Same reference as footnote 9, p. 219. 11. See Charles R. Goeldner, "Automatic Selling, Will It Work," Journal of Retailing. Vol. 38 (Summer, 1962), pp. 4146, 51-52.

In addition, in-home shopping by telephone or mail has never captured a large percentage of retail sales. Retailers may find that these hypothesized shopping motives offer additional opportunities for market segmentation and store differentiation. According to Haley, "the benefits which people are seeking in consuming a given product are the basic reasons for the existence of true market segments."'- Darden and Reynolds found significant differences in customer shopping orientation, verifying Stone's contention that some shoppers are largely concerned with buying (economic shopper), while others are more concerned with socializing (personalizing shopper).'^ Thus, shopper segments may be distinguished by their preferences for the alternative benefits they obtain from shopping. In the search for differential advantage, productrelated store benefits such as quality lines, low prices, and credit can be easily duplicated by the competition. To some extent, even new store locations can be matched by competitors establishing nearby branches. In the future, the ability to gain a distinct differential advantage may depend on catering to shopping motives that are not product related. Levitt and others have urged firms to broadly define their business from the standpoint of the consumer benefits it provides.'* Product-oriented retailers would probably define their business as "retail distribution," and emphasize the promotion and distribution of goods. However, the list of shopping motives identified above might suggest that many retailers would benefit by defining their business as being part of the social-recreational industry. As businesses which offer social and recreational appeal, retailers must acknowledge that they are competing directly for the consumer's time and money with other alternatives that provide similar benefits.
12. R. Haley, "Benefit Segmentation: A Decision-oriented Research Tool," JOURNAL OF .MARKETING. Vol. 32 (July, 1968), p. 31. 13. William Darden and Fred Reynolds, "Shopping Orientations and Product Usage Rates," Journal of .Marketing Research. Vol. VIII (November, 1971), pp. 505-508; and G. Stone, "City Shoppers and Urban Identification: Observations on the Social Psychology of City Life," The American Journal of Sociology (July, 1954). 14. Theodore Levitt, Innovation in Marketing: New Perspectives for Profit and Growth (New York: .McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1962); and Peter F. Drucker, "What is Business?" in The Practice of Management (New York: Harper and Row, Inc., 1954).