Consumer online flow experience: The relationship between utilitarian and hedonic value, satisfaction and unplanned purchase

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer experience of flow in an online consumer shopping environment and use online consumer participants to examine how consumer pursuit of shopping value links in turn affects their satisfaction and unplanned purchase behavior.

The research model was tested using the data collected from 363 valid questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was employed to verify and validate the research model.

The results of this study show that perceived control of flow and concentration will positively affect consumer utilitarian value, while concentration and cognitive enjoyment will positively affect hedonic value. Further, the effect of utilitarian value on satisfaction is greater than that of hedonic value. Finally, hedonic value positively affects unplanned buying behavior. This research results may serve as a reference for online store operators.

This study used cross-sectional data for its cause and effect analysis. Long-term conclusions based on this study are not possible. Future scholars may consider using a longitudinal approach.

The results of this study clearly demonstrate that e-commerce operators must construct environments that create flow experiences for shoppers by increasing their perceived control, concentration, and cognitive enjoyment. Doing so will create both utilitarian and hedonic values, making consumers feel satisfied with their shopping experience and leading them to make purchases not originally planned in their shopping list.

This study’s major contribution is its successful linkage of the dimensions of flow experience to purchase values. Moreover, it confirms that when online shoppers have an unselfconscious flow experience, they will experience both utilitarian and hedonic values, thus increasing their satisfaction.