Activity engagement purchases and happiness

Purpose This study aims to develop a new conceptual framework based on use intention for classifying purchases. Accordingly, it moves past the dominant material vs experiential dichotomy as well as adding a third purchase type: activity engagement purchases, which are defined as purchases that support sustained consumer activities over time. This new typology is empirically examined to understand how different purchase types contribute to consumer happiness. Design/methodology/approach Six studies are implemented to determine if consumers can classify purchases based on the new conceptualization and test whether activity engagement purchases lead to greater happiness than material or experiential purchases. The research also examines the mediating roles of competency satisfaction and value expressiveness. Findings Activity engagement purchases emerge as a conceptually and empirically distinct type of purchase that consumers can readily classify and recall. Activity engagement purchases also generate greater happiness than material or experiential ones – which is driven by their ability to fulfill consumers’ competency needs and facilitate value expression. Research limitations/implications Researchers are encouraged to explore the relationship consumers have with their activities across various contexts, as activity engagement purchases enable consumers to form social links with other consumers as well as competently engage in activities. Practical implications Managers are encouraged to view their offerings as supporting consumers’ ongoing activity processes and structure their strategy accordingly. Social implications Encouraging consumers to invest in purchases that support meaningful, long-term activities may enhance individual happiness and promote more sustainable consumption practices. Originality/value This research introduces activity engagement as a new purchase type grounded in use intention. It demonstrates that happiness is better obtained through using purchases over time than by their materiality or experiential nature.