Experiential Consumption in Minimalism: Examining the Role of Product Framing in the Purchase Intentions of Minimalist Consumers
(A2022-106533)

AUTHORS

Lisa Eckmann, Goethe University Frankfurt

ABSTRACT

Minimalist consumers aim at reducing their material consumption to live with fewer material possessions. As the consumption of experiences in most cases does not entail the purchase of material items, minimalist consumers should reject experiential consumption less than material consumption. However, the relationship between minimalism and experiential consumption has not yet been studied in depth. One correlative study from existing research and one correlative study in the current research provide evidence that minimalism is positively related to experiential consumption. Building on this finding, the current research examines whether consumers with a minimalist mindset exhibit a higher purchase intention for products when they are framed as experiential (vs. material). An experimental study finds that (1) a minimalist mindset can be primed, (2) inducing a minimalist (vs. control) mindset significantly reduces purchase intentions, and (3) product framing does not play a role in the purchase intentions of consumers primed with minimalism.