“Shopping as leisure: An exploration of manifoldness and dynamics in consumers shopping experiences”

In retailing literature, shopping as a leisure-time enjoyment has typically been examined by the use of economic or psychological approaches. Consumers engaged in this activity have commonly been portrayed as one homogenous segment. Drawing upon a sociocultural approach, this study seeks to improve our understanding of leisure shopping as subjectively experienced. The article illustrates that leisure shopping activities embrace a plethora of meanings and an inherent dynamic, evident for instance in shifts and nuances in consumers ways of experiencing and practising such activities. The results also provide some insights into the interrelation between hedonic and utilitarian aspects of shopping and emphasize that there is a complex relationship between various shopping orientations.