Keeping It Real: The Authentic Cultural Shopping Experience

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of travellers who seek an authentic indigenous shopping experience - shop like a local, have the experiences of a local, live like a local. We conducted open-ended intercept... [ view full abstract ]

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of travellers who seek an authentic indigenous shopping experience - shop like a local, have the experiences of a local, live like a local. We conducted open-ended intercept interviews with current travellers in various destinations in North America, exploring the motivations behind their shopping activities. We discovered multiple motivations, supported by the literature, including social identity aspirations, pop culture, anthropological consumption, dissatisfaction with Disney-fied experiences, and 'grounding' for the frequent traveller. Suggestions for non-tourist shopping destinations are provided, along with the proposed next stage of researching this area. A discussion relating to authenticity in shopping is also provided.