Research has shown that experiential purchases tend to make individuals happier than material purchases. The current research explores whether experiential buying tendency and materialism can contribute to this hedonic difference between experiential and material purchases. The research examines how experiential buying tendency and materialism moderate the mediating role of identity expression between purchase types and anticipatory happiness. The study also tests whether anticipatory happiness affects purchase intention and willingness to pay. The pilot study tested scales in a research pool at the University of Georgia. Study 1 tested the proposed relationships using path models and showed that identity expression mediated the effect of purchase types on anticipatory happiness. Experiential buying tendency and materialism did not moderate this mediation. Additionally, increased happiness did not predict greater purchase intention and willingness to pay. The implications in marketing and consumer behavior are discussed.
