Relationships between desired attributes, consequences and purchase frequency

Purpose – Employing means‐end theory, this paper seeks to examine the influence of specific types of product attributes upon desired consumption consequences and the mediating impact of desired consequences upon purchase frequency. Design/methodology/approach – The research employed means‐end interviews to generate specific attribute and consequence measures. These measures were then administered in a survey instrument within the context of a fashion product. Partial least squares was used for testing the measurement validity of the survey instrument and testing the structural model and related hypotheses. Findings – Style attributes significantly related to desired psychological and social consequences but did not significantly relate to functional consequences. Quality significantly related to functional consequences and social consequences but not psychological consequences. Price significantly related to all consequences. Psychological consequences were the strongest predictor of purchase frequency followed by functional consequences. Finally, desired consequences played a mediating role between product attributes and purchase frequency, with no direct influence of attributes upon purchase frequency. Research limitations/implications – The findings demonstrate the value of understanding the consumption consequences that consumers desire for products, especially after initial purchase. In doing so, the findings also provide some evidence that consequences may be better predictors of behavioral outcomes than product attributes. Practical implications – This study demonstrates that the consumer means‐end value hierarchy can be used as a tool for understanding the meanings that consumers construct around products and services. Moreover, it indicates that marketers should consider customer value analysis as a segmentation tool. Originality/value – This paper represents one of the few to test the chain of cause‐and‐effect relationships of the means‐end hierarchy within an integrated framework. It is original in that it specifically tests the relationships between major attributes (i.e. style, quality, and price) and particular consequence types (i.e. psychological, social, and functional).