Drivers of upward and downward migration: An empirical investigation among theatregoers

This paper addresses the following question: why do some customers migrate downward while others migrate upward? We examine this issue among theatregoers, who migrate downward as occasional ticket buyers and upward as subscribers. The results show that the service experience (i.e. service quality, satisfaction) influences primarily the consumer repeat purchase decision. It does not prevent customers from migrating downward. The influence of service experience on upward migration is subject to moderating individual-specific factors such as age of the consumer.