Comparing material and experiential framing in access-based fashion consumption and its influence on consumer happiness

Drawing on the experiential advantage, three studies were conducted with online clothing rental service users and potential consumers to assess how material and experiential framing impact consumer happiness and word of mouth (WOM) intentions, moderated by consumer materialism, across different consumption (i.e., buying and renting fashion products) and product types (i.e., renting instrumental vs. terminal products). The findings indicate that material framing enhances consumer perceptions of rented fashion products as reflective of their self-identity and increases product-self connections, thereby boosting happiness and WOM intentions. In contrast, experiential framing proves advantageous with instrumental products. This research expands our understanding of the boundary conditions and psychological processes of material vs. experiential framing and provides practical guidance for access-based fashion businesses to effectively communicate and present their services, aiming to achieve positive customer buzz and recommendations.