Older consumers’ TV shopping: emotions and satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the emotional factors that affect older consumers’ satisfaction with TV shopping and examined the relationships among these factors. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 285 consumers aged 60 years and older who had watched a TV home shopping channel was used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the relationships among emotional factors that affect satisfaction. Findings This study found that loneliness was an antecedent of both gratification shopping motivation and telepresence and that telepresence positively affected consumer satisfaction with TV shopping. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study validate social-compensation motive of media consumption and deficiency paradigm in the context of TV shopping. The relationship between telepresence and satisfaction also supported transportation theory. However, the findings of the current study should be interpreted with caution due to the non-random sampling method. Constructs other than those employed in this study could be examined regarding outcomes of loneliness. Practical implications This study suggested that telepresence and shopping for self-gratification are effective ways to alleviate older consumers’ loneliness. In addition, the findings from relationships among emotional variables suggested potential marketing strategies for shaping positive consumer attitudes toward and satisfaction with TV shopping networks. Originality/value This study extended knowledge on loneliness by demonstrating how it related to attitudinal outcomes such as satisfaction and knowledge on telepresence by examining it in the context of TV shopping.