Beyond Souvenirs: Consumption Values of Cultural and Creative Products From Museums

Abstract

Museums play a vital role in tourism, and as venues for shopping, are conventionally associated with souvenirs. Cultural and creative products from museums have gained popularity in China in recent years, but visitors’ purchase of these products remains underexamined in the literature. The present study, inspired by the theory of consumption values, aims to explore how visitors perceive cultural and creative products from museums. It employed a qualitative approach to collect data by conducting 39 semi-structured interviews and utilized thematic analysis to analyze the interview data. The study argues that, for visitors, cultural and creative products from museums are beyond souvenirs, which is primarily manifested in three aspects: product features, modes of purchase, and connectedness to daily life. Further, visitors perceive six consumption values by purchasing these products, which include cultural value, creative value, aesthetic value, functional value, emotional value, and social value. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.

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