Consumers’ Needs toward High Value-added Products

―The Enjoyment in Customization―

Abstract

　This paper clarifies the identity of the enjoyment in customization. Conceptual framework of this paper is developed by referring to the traditional research of benefits and costs of shopping. Data of 720 consumers' needs toward ustomization are collected from questionnaire survey and are analyzed by structural equation modelling. The result showed that producing customized products provided great positive effects to the enjoyment in customization. It also displayed the significance of the positive effect in possessing customized products, especially in those with customized functional values. However, co-creation of the values between customers and companies was not significant enough to draw attentions. On the other hand, the negative effects of costs such as consumption of time, physical and nervous energy are limited. Particularly, an increase in prices is even not supported as a cost element. These results are proved to be valuable for companies to implement customization strategy.