Propinquity Effect of Third Places on Customer’s Experiential Value

Abstract

Experiential marketing is the new driving force to create a sustainable relationship with customers. Among the assortment of constituents, building up customer experience one component is ‘Third Place’. Third place refers to spaces excluding home (first place) and work (second place) where people come together for an informal tête-à-tête. Inclusion of third place within a retail setting may have a positive impinge on the propinquity of customers towards the store. This paper endeavors to investigate customer’s perspective on the experiential consequences of propinquity ensuing from Third Places within the servicescape of a store. The scope of this research is confined to apparel retailers. This research explores primary benefits distinguished by customers and clubs them using thematic analysis. The paper makes a worthy contribution in terms of compiling literature worldwide on Third Place – concept, functions, usage, and domain. This paper is also the first contribution in the literature pool of third places in Indian context, which makes it valuable piece of work.