The dark side of experience-seeking mall shoppers

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that mall shoppers who participate in a mall’s experiential offerings, including entertainment and activities, do not necessarily exhibit more favorable attitudes or behaviors toward the mall than mall shoppers who do not participate in these offerings. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs survey methodology from a sample collected in an expansive regional mall that offers customers experiential activities. Findings: The findings show that mall shoppers who partake in mall-based activities are less satisfied, are less likely to spread positive word of mouth, and have lesser desire to return to the mall than shoppers who do not partake in these activities. The findings also reveal that mall expenditures are the same between shoppers who partake in mall activities and those who do not. Research limitations/implications: Researchers have argued that malls can compete with digital retailers by offering shoppers experiential activities. Although segments of shoppers partake in these activities, this study finds that experiential investments do not result in significant favorable shopper outcomes. Practical implications: Mall developers that implement experiential offerings as a means to combat competition from digital retailers may not attain managerially relevant results from doing so. Originality/value: Although retailing academics and consultants espouse the idea that retailers can obtain financial benefits by creating memorable experiences for shoppers, this research offers empirical evidence that counters these speculations. In the case of enclosed malls, investments in experiential features and activities may not lead to improved shopper attitudes, behaviors, or sales.