Verifying the hedonic vs. utilitarian consumer attitudes categorization: the case of spas and salons Lydia Hanks and Anna S. Mattila The Pennsylvania State University, 224 Mateer Building, University Park, PA16803, USA The marketing and consumer behavior literature has long used the categorizations of ‘hedonic’ and ‘utilitarian’ to distinguish among various types of goods and services. Previous research has shown that consumers perceive these two categories of goods and services differently and that consumer behavior can vary depending upon which category a product or service falls into. The present study attempts to shed light on consumer perceptions of spa and salon experiences, in an effort to gain an understanding of how women define their visits to these establishments. Our study employs a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews and grounded theory to expli- cate the ways in which women perceive their spa and salon visits. Our findings indicate that women experience their spa visits as hedonic, while they view their salon visits as utilitarian experiences. Managerial implications are discussed. Keywords: spa, salon, hedonic, utilitarian, grounded theory INTRODUCTION The marketing and consumer behavior litera- ture has long used the categorizations of ‘hedonic’ and ‘utilitarian’ to distinguish among various types of goods and services (Batra and Ahtola, 1991; Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982; Mano and Oliver, 1993; Strahilevitz and Myers, 1998). From a broad perspective, hedonic goods and services are characterized as experimental, pleasur- able, enjoyable, luxurious, and fun. Utilitar- ian goods and services, in contrast, are considered necessary, functional, and instru- mental (Dhar and Wertenbroch, 2000). Previous research has shown that consu- mers perceive these two categories of goods and services differently and that con- sumer behavior can vary depending upon which category a product or service falls into. For example, category type (hedonic or utilitarian) has been demonstrated to impact consumers’ attitudes (Batra and Ahtola, 1991; Voss et al., 2003), perceptions of the shopping experience (Bridges and Florsheim, 2008), emotional reactions (Hol- brook and Hirschman, 1982), decision- making (Woods, 1960), and purchase behav- ior (Dhar and Wertenbroch, 2000). In addition, the literature shows that consumer responses to elements of the purchase experience, such as marketing messaging, servicescape, and advertising and sales tech- niques can vary according to whether the product or service is utilitarian or hedonic (Hightower et al., 2002; Mattila, 2000; Okada, 2005). Given the impact of these effects on consumer purchase behavior, an understanding of consumer perceptions of whether a service is utilitarian or hedonic is of great importance to managers and marketers. Managing Leisure ISSN 1360-6719 print/ISSN 1466-450X online # 2012 Taylor & Francis http://www.tandfonline.com http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2011.638201 Managing Leisure 17, 47–53 (January 2012)