Pre-purchase and post-purchase apparel satisfaction of female skiers and snowboarders

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs model framed an investigation of pre-purchase and post-purchase satisfaction of ski and snowboarding apparel attributes at three levels of commitment. As women’s activities in sports, including skiing and snowboarding, continue to grow, it is necessary to investigate their apparel in order to meet consumers’ needs. A final sample consisted of 117 women, from three ski and snowboarding resorts in the northwestern US. Pre-purchase and post-purchase satisfaction of ski and snowboarding apparel was assessed using FEA attributes. Respondents were more satisfied with functional attributes, than expressive or aesthetic attributes. Results indicate no significant difference in pre-purchase satisfaction by the level of commitment, whereas there was a significant difference in post-purchase satisfaction by the level of commitment. There was also a significant difference between pre-purchase and post-purchase satisfaction, with skiers and snowboarders less satisfied with the apparel purchased.