Designed by me - Motivations and barriers affecting consumers' willingness to co-create products in the physical store

Abstract: Purpose: The rise of e-commerce has caused a dramatic shift in consumer behavior. Therefore, strategies in bricks-and-mortar retailing need to be adapted to ensure the continued relevance of physical stores. The purpose of this thesis work is to discover opportunities for shopper-centric and experience-focused brick and mortar retail in the future. By specifically looking at the case of the Lobby, an experiential retail space in the center of Stockholm, we explore consumer motivations to engage in new product co-creation in-store. Previous studies on consumers' willingness to co-create have mostly focused on co-creation in the online sphere. Hence, there is an opportunity to tap into an unexplored research area. Research methodology: In the pre-study, we interviewed four industry experts to explore the opportunities for co-creation in brick and mortar retail. The consecutive main study employs a qualitative approach, and through scenario building, it investigates consumer motivations to engage in in-store co-creation. Empirical findings: We identify seven different motive categories for engagement in in-store co-creation. Moreover, we recognize the existence of five thresholds and two hygiene factors, which can decrease an individual's willingness to co-create. Relevance: Previous research has not considered thresholds and hygiene factors as influencers on the motivation to co-create. Combining these factors with the identified motivation categories provides a novel framework depicting influencing factors for consumers' willingness to co-create. Thereby, we contribute to existing co-creation research with the investigation of consumers' motivations and barriers to engage in in-store co-creation.