The consumer decision : The consumer decision and its loyalty during a box subscription based e-commerce

Abstract: The market of subscription box is booming in recent years in France and is becoming a new mode of distribution but also a new way of selling products. For non-disclosure of the content of the box, the brands must cause the purchase of consumer without the use of sensory marketing. The purpose of this thesis is to discover and to understand why consumers do the act of buying without actually knowing the product and how they become loyal to box by subscription. Sensory marketing still remains a poorly developed subject and this study, in the context of a subscription box, will determine the place that it can play in the consumer's purchasing decision. In addition, we try to explain, in a second step, the process of retaining customer of the subscription box. For this, this study will be conducted in an abductive approach, which will allow using theories and collected data to extract assumptions about the place of sensory marketing in the box by subscription and on the retention process. The qualitative research will also allow us to understand the process and not only show results. Three interviews were therefore conducted with companies commercializing box but also with three consumers. It is important that this study focuses on these two agents, allowing us to have a broader vision of the ins and outs and understand in depth what can influence the purchase. These interviews were conducted by telephone, face-to-face or Skype. The result of our study has shown that, in the context of a subscription box, sensory marketing is not necessary for the purchase decision. However, other factors are taken into account and positively influenced the decision: the practicality of the delivery, the box customization, the scarcity effect and the surprise. Regarding retention, two criteria must be in place to ensure that consumers attach to brands and become loyal, customer satisfaction and retention strategies through customization.