Axiology of Tourism Shopping: A Cross-Level Investigation of Value-in-the-Experience (VALEX)

Abstract

This study draws on the premise of value-in-the-experience (VALEX), axiology, and situated cognition to investigate how value is contextualized within a broader social system that is manifested through the service environment where the shopping experience occurs. A cross-level framework is proposed to examine how shopping value is embedded within the broader setting. Findings reveal that the broader shopping environment is a facilitator of the value–experience process when tourists are seeking hedonic value, while it is a disabler when they are seeking utilitarian value. This inquiry opens a new avenue of research in shopping tourism, with a focus on a more complex dynamic of value-in-context based on situated cognition.