City centers in Sweden and in many other countries have struggled to maintain their attractiveness over the past decade due to changing consumer behavior driven by factors such as e-shopping and out-of-town shopping centers. The purpose of this thesis was to understand how and why consumers nowadays engage with their local city center and to explore how and what value is created for them through their interaction with the city center. Based on previous literature, a conceptual model was developed to analyze the empirical findings. This model consists of three main areas: actors, interaction (co-creation), and value. To collect empirical data, twelve interviews were conducted with individuals who have some form of consumption relationship with the city center, along with two observations within the city center. The findings revealed that city center consumption is a combination of functional, experiential, and symbolic consumption, which creates unique value for consumers through co-creation with the city center as another actor. The findings also indicated that the relationship consumers have with the city center from childhood significantly influences how and why they consume. This thesis provides new insights into how the perspectives of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and Service-Dominant Logic (SDL) should interact in consumer research within a city center context, and how the relationship between the consumer and the city center can be leveraged and developed to create a more attractive city center. Managers can use these insights practically in place marketing for a city center.
- Degree of Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics
- International business and marketing
- Business Administration (50202)
- City Center
- consumption
- co-creation
- value
- place attachment
Beyond Concrete and Glass: The exploration of city center consumption
Gripner, N. (Author), Åberg, L. (Author). 2024-Jun
Student thesis: Bachelor