Description
This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican
tourist-shoppers to the USA. More specifically, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on
shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this
study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the USA
J ingxue (J essica) Yuan Deborah C. Fowler Ben K. Goh Mitzi K. Lauderdale
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J ingxue (J essica) Yuan Deborah C. Fowler Ben K. Goh Mitzi K. Lauderdale , (2013),"Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the
USA", International J ournal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 7 Iss 4 pp. 394 - 410
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Antónia Correia, Metin Kozak, J oão Ferradeira, (2013),"From tourist motivations to tourist satisfaction", International J ournal of Culture,
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Fang Meng, Yingjiao Xu, (2012),"Tourism shopping behavior: planned, impulsive, or experiential?", International J ournal of Culture, Tourism
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Tammy R. Kinley, J udith A. Forney, Youn-Kyung Kim, (2012),"Travel motivation as a determinant of shopping venue", International J ournal
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Mexican cross-border shoppers’
motivations to the USA
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan, Deborah C. Fowler, Ben K. Goh and Mitzi K. Lauderdale
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican
tourist-shoppers to the USA. More speci?cally, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on
shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this
study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers.
Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument was developed incorporating a set of 30
shopping motivation questions. Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology from 92
Mexican visitors who shopped at a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas in 2007. The
motivational items were subsequently factor analyzed for possible underlying dimensions.
Findings – Motivations of cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas demonstrated a combination of
two aspects, the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The cross-border consumption and
shopping by Mexican residents in Texas, therefore, were both functional and recreational.
Originality/value – With a better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border
shopping, this study developed a model to capture the stimulating in?uence of the retail environment as
well as a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourismin the process of developing
a ‘‘must visit’’ destination.
Keywords Cross-border shopping, Shopping motivations, Tourist shoppers
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Shopping is an increasingly important element in leisure and tourism. Shopping during travel
re?ects the increasing emphasis on consumption in modern society, and the importance the
acquisition of material goods assumes in many people’s lives (Featherstone, 1991; Shields,
1992). Leisure shopping is one of the most popular global tourist activities. In some
destinations (e.g. Hong Kong and Paris) shopping has become a core element of the tourist
attraction contributing signi?cantly to the retail trade. Cross-border shopping is one
particular aspect of both shopping and tourism. Shopping tourism in border areas takes
place all over the world and is increasing in popularity (Jansen-Verbeke, 1990). The leading
countries where cross-border shopping occurs are France, Spain, and the USA (Cross
Border Shopping Report, 2002).
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) spurred international border trading
between the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Since this agreement in 1994, Mexico’s and
Canada’s shares of overall US international trade and travel have grown. According to the
US Department of Transportation (2001), the value of US merchandise trade with Canada
and Mexico was $653 billion. Not surprisingly, nine of the top ten origins and destinations for
cross-border shoppers are border states with large manufacturing bases, such as Michigan,
Texas, California, New York and Ohio. Nearly, one-third of all NAFTA surface trade in the US
is with Michigan, California, and Texas (North American Trade and Travel Trends, 2001).
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VOL. 7 NO. 4 2013, pp. 394-410, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1750-6182 DOI 10.1108/IJCTHR-02-2013-0004
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan,
Deborah C. Fowler, and
Ben K. Goh are based in the
Department of Nutrition,
Hospitality & Retailing,
Texas Tech University,
Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Mitzi K. Lauderdale is
based in the Department of
Personal Financial
Planning, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, Texas,
USA.
Received 4 February 2013
Revised 4 February 2013
Accepted 4 February 2013
The authors thank Minsun Jeon,
a graduate assistant at the
Department of Nutrition,
Hospitality & Retailing, Texas
Tech University, for her help in
this article.
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Mexican cross-border shoppers have become very important to certain segments of the US
business economy. Because of its shared border with the USA, Mexico is unique among
global retail markets. The border links 20 million Americans of Mexican origin plus another
unknown number of undocumented residents, representing one of the biggest and fastest
growing ethnic markets in the USA (Retail Forward, 2003). The border between the USA and
Mexico has a powerful impact on the cultural, social, political, and economic landscape of
the border states, particularly in the State of Texas. Many Hispanics of Mexican descent
living in Texas say ‘‘we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us’’. Whether discussions
relate to Santa Ana, the Alamo, migrant workers, legal immigrants, heritage or the history of
the six ?ags governing the current State of Texas, the USA-Mexico border represents a
general area where the two meet in harmony. The growing Hispanic population in the
Southwestern US and the increasing economic resources of the fronterizos of Mexico have
combined to enlarge that region often referred to as Mexamerica (Ganster and Lorey, 2005).
Mexicans cross the US border to purchase a variety of products and services. Mexico’s
youthful population heavily supports cross-border shopping since Mexico has an incredibly
youthful market with more than 50 percent of Mexicans under 24 (Retail Forward, 2003). This
youthful market focuses on fashion, toys, and other items appealing to younger people.
Many shopping centers in Texas treat the very rich Mexican tourist just as Las Vegas treats
the high roller gamblers. The potential for retail sales is great as demonstrated by the
signi?cant role in the economies of some of the border cities and towns. In 2003 alone, more
than 38 million noncommercial crossings took place at the bridges along the Texas-Mexico
border. The majority of these individuals were coming to purchase goods to take back to
their home country (Phillips and Coronado, 2005). Clearly, Mexican cross-border shoppers
have greatly impacted retailers’ pro?ts in certain areas. For example, Mexican shoppers
spent $962 million in Arizona department and grocery stores (Charney and
Pavlakovich-Kochi, 2002). Estimated expenditures by Mexican shoppers in the lower Rio
Grande Valley reached $1.4 billion (Ghaddar et al., 2003). Four times more Mexicans are
crossing into the US to shop today than Canadians. In 1991, 167,000 Canadian passengers
entered the US Today that number has dropped to about 60,000 (Niemira, 2005). The
Mexican cross-border shopper is becoming a more important factor to American retailers
than their Canadian counterparts. American retailers need more extensive and detailed data
on the Mexican cross-border shopper.
The subject of cross-border shopping as a tourist activity has also been relatively under
researched. This study, therefore, focuses on Mexican tourist-shoppers who cross the
border to shop at an outlet mall in central Texas. Speci?cally, this study examines why these
Mexican travelers shop across the border in the USA, using integrated literature from two
ends – retailing literature on shopping motivations and tourism literature viewing
cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented activities. The study accomplishes the
following objectives:
1. To investigate the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican tourist-shoppers.
2. To determine the motivations of Mexican tourists as cross-border shoppers.
3. To examine if socio-demographic characteristics varied with their motivations for
cross-border shopping.
Literature review
Cross-border shopping as tourism
Traditional de?nitions of international tourists normally encompass such elements as
temporary travel, crossing an international border, and pleasure as a purpose of the trip
(Ganster and Lorey, 2005). Cross-border shoppers, in that sense, are considered tourists
since they cross another country’s border for the explicit purpose of shopping, which acts as
a powerful force for tourism activity (Di Matteo and Di Matteo, 1996). If an individual,
motivated by pleasure, or a combination of economics and pleasure, intentionally cross the
border to shop, he or she ought to be a tourist (Timothy and Butler, 1995). The concept of
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tourist-shoppers would thus describe the travelers who make retail purchase outside their
home country and who identify shopping as a primary motive for going abroad.
Tourist-shoppers may seek unique products and are concerned about the brand names,
product and package size, price, product attributes, and location of stores (Yu¨ ksel and Atila,
2004).
The genesis of research associated with cross-border shoppers in the retailing literature was
Reilly’s work (1931). Converse (1949) and Huff (1964) expanded on Reilly’s line of thought.
These three studies form the basis of the macro-analytical approach to the study of
cross-border shopping. Hermann and Beik (1968) and Thompson (1972) continued the
research and conclude cross-border shoppers had higher incomes, fewer children living at
home, more out-of-town charge accounts, and negative attitudes concerning the price
selection of merchandise in the local area, and as a group were younger than the remainder
of the population.
Typically, in the literature on travel behavior, the de?nition of tourism does not include
shopping as a motivator. However, as one of the most pervasive leisure activities engaged in
by tourists, shopping has become an increasingly important tourism motivator (Timothy and
Butler, 1995; Yu¨ ksel and Yu¨ ksel, 2006). According to the Tourism Industries/Trade
Administration, international visitors spend about $18 billion dollars annually while shopping
in the USA. Nearly, 90 percent of overseas travelers engage in shopping activity (Brookman,
1998). For many tourists, shopping is frequently a powerful factor in the decision to cross a
border for a trip. Many cross-border shoppers combine shopping with vacations and
holidays and are willing to spend extra time and money such a trip requires (Cross Border
Shopping Report, 2005).
Recent tourism studies offer insight about cross-border shopping as a recreation type of
tourism in which people travel to ful?ll their needs of leisure, enjoyment, or entertainment.
Cross-border shopping creates an incentive to travel and may produce a source of pleasure
and excitement. Researchers agree that shopping is not de?ned as shopping activity when
the purpose of the trip comes only from economic motives (Ngamsom, 1998). Wang (2004)
provides a number of rationales to support the tourism view of cross-border shopping. First
of all, cross-border shopping trips are not routinely taken (Mares, 1990). Second,
cross-border shoppers need to travel to a foreign country and spend time and money there
(Murphy, 1985; Ryan, 1991). Furthermore, cross-border shopping becomes a leisure activity
especially when the purchased items are non-essential (Timothy and Butler, 1995). The
further one travels, the more likely crossing the border involves leisure or tourism-oriented
activities (Jansen-Verbeke, 1990).
Cross-border shopping can actually function as an attraction because the activity serves
people’s needs and provides the opportunities for them to pursue enjoyment. Often times
cross-border shopping is interesting and pleasurable enough to motivate people to travel for
the purpose of the experience. Shopping abroad is popular, as the traveler ?nds a different
and alluring selection of merchandise not available in one’s home country, as well as the
quality and attractiveness of the shopping environment involved. Thus, the development of
shopping sectors is an important instrument in international tourism promotion. Retail stores
are now an integral part of the infrastructure in many destinations and make a signi?cant
contribution to the tourism industry (Timothy and Butler, 1995; Yu¨ ksel, 2004). The
development of mega-malls as tourist attractions and destinations represents a new
development in tourism (Butler, 1991).
Retail shopping motivations
Researchers in the retailing ?eld have made numerous attempts to explore the critical
question of why people shop. As the entertainment aspect of retailing, or ‘‘entertainling’’,
increasingly becomes a key competitive tool in the changing landscape of the retail industry,
some argue shopping motivations should be viewed within the totality of the shopping
experience, which consists of the utilitarian and the hedonic aspects of consumption (Arnold
and Reynolds, 2003). The word ‘‘rational’’ characterizes the utilitarian aspects, which are
related closely to the acquisition of a product. Hedonic consumption is driven by the ‘‘fun’’ a
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consumer has in using the product, and focuses essentially on the aesthetic, or the hedonic
ful?llment, such as experiencing fun, amusement, fantasy, and sensory stimulation.
Tauber’s seminal study in 1972 develops a motivational compendium in which the motives
for shopping are categorized as either personal or social. The six personal motives are:
1. opportunity for role playing (grocery shopping by a housewife);
2. diversion from daily routine (recreation);
3. provision of self-grati?cation (to alleviate depression);
4. learning about newtrends, fashions, and innovations (information seeking, getting ideas);
5. obtaining physical activity (a walk round the shops); and
6. sensory stimulation from the retail environment (visual, sound, scent).
The ?ve social motives are:
1. social interaction outside the home (seeking new acquaintances, direct encounters with
friends);
2. communication with others having similar interests;
3. peer group attractions (‘‘hanging out’’);
4. obtaining social status and authority (a feeling of power when being waited on by store
personnel); and
5. pleasure of bargaining.
The basic premise of the hypotheses is shoppers are motivated by many variables, some of
which are psychosocial needs unrelated to the actual buying of product.
Westbrook and Black (1985) capture seven dimensions of fundamental shopping motives:
1. anticipated utility of prospective purchases;
2. enactment of an economic shopping role;
3. negotiation to obtain price concessions from the seller;
4. optimization of merchandise choice in terms of matching shoppers’ needs and desires;
5. af?liation with reference groups;
6. exercise of power and authority in marketplace exchanges; and
7. sensory stimulation from the marketplace.
All these motivations contain both hedonic and utilitarian elements, though some might be
more utilitarian in nature while others are more hedonic oriented.
Arnold and Reynolds (2003) investigate the hedonic reasons people go shopping. Six broad
categories of hedonic shopping motivations emerge as the following:
1. adventure shopping (stimulation, adventure, and the feeling of being in another world);
2. social shopping (enjoyment of shopping with friends and family, socializing and bonding
with others while shopping);
3. grati?cation shopping (shopping for stress relief, to alleviate a negative mood, and as a
special treat to oneself);
4. idea shopping (to keep with trends and new fashions, and to see new products and
innovations);
5. role shopping (enjoyment derived from shopping for others, and the excitement and
intrinsic joy felt by shoppers when ?nding the perfect gift for others); and
6. value shopping (shopping for sales, looking for discounts, and hunting for bargains).
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The contribution of these studies is the recognition that shopping behavior may arise:
B principally to acquire the products for which needs are experienced (product-oriented);
B both to acquire the desired product and to provide satisfaction for various additional
non-product-related needs (a combination of product and experiential); or
B principally to serve the needs unrelated to the acquisition of the product (experiential),
featuring a hedonic or recreational orientation in which shopping occurs for the pleasure
inherent in the visit (Westbrook and Black, 1985).
Thus, shopping happens for:
B economic reasons (i.e. allocation of the necessary time, effort, and money to obtain
required products and services); and/or
B personal or social reasons (e.g. seeking attention, desires to be with peers, desires to
meet people with similar interests, getting exercise, or simply spending leisure time)
(Westbrook and Black, 1985).
Tourist cross-border shopping motivations
Tourists often travel just to shop. Despite the importance of shopping, tourist shopping
research is still in an exploratory stage. Why do tourist-shoppers shop across the border?
Cross-border shopping can be highly rational (i.e. it responds quickly and dramatically to
changes in the economic systems). This economic viewof cross-border shopping prevails in
many studies. Examples include the Canadian cross-border shoppers shopping in the USA
(Chatterjee, 1991; Evans et al., 1992; Rotenberg and Yannopoulous, 1997), the two popular
cross-border shopping areas between Thailand and Myanmar and between Malaysia and
Thailand (Ngamsom, 1998), Singaporeans shopping in neighboring Malaysia (Tanshuhaj
et al., 1989; Piron, 2000), Irish shopping in the Northern Ireland (Fitzgerald et al., 1988), and
cross-border shopping between Denmark and Germany (Bygvra` , 1998, 1999). These
studies, stemming from the retailing literature, suggest that cross-border shopping are
primarily a rational choice, motivated by economic reasons such as lower price, better
quality, and more variety.
In contrast to this functional view, others, mainly in the tourism ?eld, consider
cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented activities. In other words, cross-border
shopping can also be primarily pleasure focused (Timothy and Butler, 1995).
Cross-border shopping, like other tourism activities, may have had some psychological
status and prestige motivations such as the desire for recognition or attention, ful?llment
and social or personal achievement (Mayo and Jarvis, 1981). Many people ?nd hunting
bargains, spending, and going somewhere different very pleasurable. This is especially
true if the experience involves traveling abroad, as the trip provides the fascination of
experiencing cultural differences, spending foreign currency, and eating exotic foods.
Studies on short cross-border trips between Canada and the US report that while
shopping is a very important motivation, activities such as sightseeing, vacationing and
resting also rank high (Dilley et al., 1991; Kreck, 1985). Novelty-seeking, exercising and
experiencing local culture and customs are the major factors motivating Hong Kong
tourists to shop at Tourist Night Markets in Taiwan (Hsieh and Chang, 2006). International
visitors provided a variety of reasons for buying products in Hong Kong, of which
fashion/novelty, unique/special/attractive, and preference are related to the hedonic
aspect of shopping (Wong and Law, 2003).
Wang (2004) positioned his exploration on motivations of Hong Konger’s cross-border
shopping in Shenzhen, China, in the context of the two diverging views on the driving forces
of cross-border shopping, namely economical and leisure oriented. The study produced
some mixed results. The ?ndings suggest that cross-border consumption and shopping by
Hong Kong residents in Shenzhen entails both aspects. On the one hand, shopping in
Shenzhen was driven by the economic reason of lower prices of goods and services in
Shenzhen (the factors on price advantage of Shenzhen, and favorable rate of Hong Kong
dollar). On the other hand, the leisure-seeking type of motivation, such as the opportunities
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for bargaining (the factor on shopping manner and environment), showed high level of
importance as well. Moreover, the shopping activity was often combined visits to restaurants
and other social and leisure activities.
International tourists, therefore, may seek utilitarian and/or pleasurable shopping
experiences, similar to the motivators driving the retail shoppers. They may have multiple
motives for a single cross-border shopping trip. To a certain extent, the necessity for
shopping and the attraction of exotic and bargain shopping opportunities could urge people
to leave their home country for cross-border shopping. Meanwhile, the desire for relaxation,
escaping from the mundane and accepting a challenge associated with shopping could
draw people to cross the border to a destination country (Law and Au, 2000). Many
cross-border shoppers are touristic in nature based on their motivation for travel in pursuit of
pleasurable experiences (Timothy and Butler, 1995).
Method
Survey instrument
The instrument was developed by the researchers after studying many articles, books, and
several other studies based on the subjects of cross-border shopping and retail shopping
motivations. While most of the available studies and journal articles are related to
cross-border shopping in either Canada or Europe, the techniques and data collected were
very similar in focus. The instrument was available both in English and Spanish. The Spanish
version was translated and back translated by persons skilled in translating English and
Spanish. A set of 30 shopping motivation questions were constructed. A review of relevant
literature on:
B retail shopping motivations; and
B cross-border shopping as tourist activities was used to develop the pool of measurement
items.
Informants were asked to indicate the importance of the reasons to shop in the US on a
?ve-point Likert scale where 1 meant ‘‘not important’’ and 5 meant ‘‘very important.’’
Questions on cross-border shoppers’ demographics, trip characteristics, and other
shopping-related behavior were also incorporated in the questionnaire.
Data collection
Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology during the weekend of
February 23-25, 2007, in a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas. Central Texas
attracts a number of international visitors throughout the year, many of whom arrive via
automobile, bus, and airplane. Shoppers were approached using the intercept technique in
the food court area of the shopping center. Research assistants con?rmed the informants
were international visitors prior to issuing a survey. After the completion of the survey, the
informants received an incentive valued at $10. A total of 150 questionnaires were gathered
during the three-day data collection period. Because of the focus of this study, the data were
screened using two criteria:
1. the informant’s primary purpose of the trip was shopping; and
2. the informant’s country of residence was Mexico.
This process produced 92 usable questionnaires which formed the ?nal set of the data for
statistical analyses.
Data analysis procedures
The analyses of the study consisted of four distinct elements. The respondents’
socio-demographic, trip characteristics, and preferred shopping behavior were pro?led
in frequencies and percentages. Second, the 30 motivational elements were examined
by computing the means of the importance scores. The top ten items were ranked. The
30 motivational items were then factor analyzed by using a principal component method
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combined with varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization. Common factorial criteria were
used in extracting the factors. Due to the small sample size, variables with factor
loadings above 0.50 were entered into the ?nal model. Factors also had to have
eigenvalues greater than one, and together must explain a substantial share of the total
variance.
A four-factor solution emerged in which 19 motivational items remained. Eliminations of the
11 items took place either because the items had low loading scores (less than 0.50), or
because the items had multiple loadings above 0.50. The total variance explained by the
model increased in the process of the deletions. To test the internal consistency of these
factors, reliability analyses were conducted based on the average inter-item correlation.
Finally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the computed combined factor
means by socio-demographic characteristics (i.e. age, education, marital status,
occupation, and gender).
Results and discussion
Sample pro?les on demographic/trip characteristics and shopping patterns
Because Central Texas is a popular destination for Mexicans, this study focuses on the
shopping behavior of 92 Mexican citizens. The socio-demographic characteristics of the
informants are presented in Table I. The greatest number were aged 31-40 (28 percent),
followed by ages 21-30 (27 percent), ages 41-50 (20 percent), and ages 51 and older (20
percent), with a small number under age 21 (5 percent). Most of the informants (78 percent)
had a college or postgraduate degree (bachelor, master, or doctorate). The majority (71
percent) were married. Many were self-employed (39 percent) or not employed (34 percent),
including 19 housewives. Females (49 percent) and males (51 percent) were nearly evenly
split.
Table II displays the trip characteristics of the informants. How did the informants travel to
cross the border? The majority (76 percent) drove an automobile, 20 percent arrived by
airplane, and 4 percent arrived on a bus. Many informants traveled with their spouses
Table I Demographic pro?le of Mexican cross-border shoppers
Variable Frequency %
Age
Under 21 5 5.4
21-30 25 27.2
31-40 26 28.3
41-50 18 19.6
51 and older 18 19.6
Education
No college degree 20 21.7
College degree 59 64.1
Post graduate degree 13 14.1
Marital status
Not married 27 29.3
Married 65 70.7
Occupation
Employed 24 26.1
Not employed 31 33.7
Self-employed 36 39.1
Missing 1 1.1
Gender
Male 45 48.9
Female 47 51.1
Note: n ¼ 92
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and/or relatives. The group size was either two to three (39 percent) or four to ?ve (37
percent). The majority (64 percent) planned to stay one to three nights in the USA. Some
even indicted a planned stay of four to ?ve nights (28 percent). Staying in a hotel (78
percent) was the informants’ primary choice of accommodations. The informants either
used a rental car (46 percent) or drove their own car (42 percent) while moving around in
town.
Approximately, 27 percent of the informants traveled twice to the US in the past 12 months to
shop, 19 percent traveled three times a year, 11 percent traveled once a year, 10 percent
four times a year, 9 percent six times a year, and 8 percent ?ve times a year. During the
current trip, the informants spent or planned to spend an average of $293 on gifts for others
(min. ¼ $0; max. ¼ $3,000), and $1,386 on goods for themselves (min. ¼ $0;
max. ¼ $42,500). What types of products were purchased by the informants while in the
USA? The ?ve highest mean scores on a ?ve-point scale are presented in Table III. The scale
ranged from 1 (never), 2 (seldom), 3 (occasionally), 4 (frequently), to 5 (very frequently).
Informants tended to buy more on men’s apparel, and women’s apparel, which were
followed closely by gifts, children’s apparel and accessories, and perfume and cosmetics.
Table II Trip characteristics of Mexican cross-border shoppers
Variable Frequency %
Means to travel across the border
Automobile 70 76.1
Airplane 18 19.6
Bus 4 4.3
Travel party type (multiple choices)
Alone 0
With children 26
With colleagues 3
With friends 27
As part of a group 0
With relatives 34
With spouse 41
Group size
2-3 36 39.1
4-5 34 37.0
.5 19 20.7
Missing 2 3.3
Length of stay
Same-day trip 2 2.2
1-2 nights 23 25.0
3 nights 36 39.1
4-5 nights 26 28.3
.5 nights 3 3.3
Missing 2 2.2
Accommodation
Not stay overnight 5 5.4
Hotel 72 78.3
Relative’s 2 2.2
Friend’s 6 6.5
Other 7 7.6
Primary means of transportation when traveling around
Rental car 42 45.7
Public transportation 5 5.4
Taxi cabs 1 1.1
Walking 1 1.1
Own car 39 42.4
Other’s car 2 2.2
Missing 2 2.2
Note: n ¼ 92
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Cross-border shopping motivations
The second objective of the study concerns the critical question. What might have motivated
the informants to visit the US on such a shopping trip? The ten highest mean scores on a
?ve-point scale are presented in Table IV. The scale ranged from 1 (not important) to 5 (very
important). All the ten items received an average rating above 4. The most important reasons
cited by the informants were similar to that of previous studies:
B getting the best price;
B lower prices;
B special sales;
B better quality; and
B opportunity to shop at new and different places (Wang, 2004).
The factor analysis on motivations produced a four-factor solution. Each dimension had an
eigenvalue above 1.0 and explained more than 9 percent of the variance. The total variance
explained was approximately 71 percent. The total Cronbach’s a value indicated that the
model had high level of internal consistency (a ¼ 0.92). The four dimensions were then
labeled according to the variables that carried higher factor loadings within each particular
factor (Table V). The factors are named as:
1. shopping environment (a ¼ 0.93);
2. culture and socialization (a ¼ 0.89);
3. novelty and best price (a ¼ 0.86); and
4. bargain hunting (a ¼ 0.58).
High degree of internal consistency was shown for all factors except the last one.
Table III Top ?ve product items normally purchased in the USA
Rank Product item Mean score SD
1 Men’s apparel 4.34 0.98
2 Women’s apparel 4.22 1.18
3 Gifts 3.78 1.21
4 Children’s accessories 3.58 1.51
5 Perfumes and cosmetics 3.55 1.34
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the frequency of each product item
purchased in the USA (1 – never; 5 – very frequently)
Table IV Top ten cross-border shopping motivations
Rank Motivation Mean score SD
1 Getting the best price 4.56 0.83
2 Low price 4.47 0.87
3 Special sales 4.45 0.89
4 Better quality 4.44 0.88
5 Shopping at new and different places 4.38 0.90
6 Shopping as a pleasant activity 4.16 1.21
7 Seeking bargaining 4.14 1.15
8 Enjoying places with both shopping and entertainment 4.13 1.05
9 Better value for money 4.08 1.20
10 Not found in home country 4.00 1.07
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the importance of each motivation item
for shopping cross-borderly from Mexico to the USA (1 – not at all important; 5 – extremely
important)
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The informants attached varying degree of importance to the four motivational factors
(Table VI). Novelty and best price (Factor 3) received the highest importance rating among
the four motivational factors. Shopping environment (Factor 1) was another high scored
factor, receiving an importance rating just below novelty and best price. However, novelty
and best price received signi?cantly a higher rating than did shopping environment
(t ¼ 7.23; p , 0.00). Both factors were perceived as more signi?cant motivators than the
other two factors in the informants’ decision making (novelty and best price vs bargain
hunting, t ¼ 11.43, p , 0.00; novelty and best price vs culture and socialization, t ¼ 11.22,
p , 0.00; shopping environment vs bargain hunting, t ¼ 4.37, p , 0.00; shopping
environment vs culture and socialization, t ¼ 4.829, p , 0.00). There was no difference in
terms of the mean importance ratings between bargain hunting (Factor 4) and culture and
socialization (Factor 2) (t ¼ 0.20, p ¼ 0.84).
The respondents’ motivations to shop across the border were primarily characterized by two
dimensions:
1. seeking novelty and best price, a mixture of psychosocial needs of diversion from daily
routine and economic reasons associated with price; and
2. shopping environment, features of quality and attractiveness probably not found in one’s
home country.
Table V Exploratory factor analysis results of cross-border shopping motivations
Subscales
Factor
loading
Eigen
value
Variance
explained
Reliability
coef?cient
Factor 1: shopping environment 4.32 22.8 0.93
Better customer service 0.88
Comfortable shopping environment 0.84
More sales staff 0.77
Friendlier staff 0.71
Convenient opening hours 0.71
More knowledgeable staff 0.67
Factor 2: culture and socialization 4.30 22.6 0.89
Tasting American culture 0.89
Uniqueness of the American culture 0.88
Experiencing another culture 0.74
Opportunity to socialize with friends 0.72
Increased contact with friends 0.65
Visiting places for entertainment 0.65
Factor 3: novelty and best price 3.19 16.8 0.86
Shopping at new and different places 0.83
Getting the best price 0.78
Special sales 0.77
Enjoying places with both shopping and entertainment 0.72
Factor 4: bargaining hunting 1.74 9.2 0.58
Enjoying the process of bargaining 0.74
Seeking bargaining 0.65
Following trends of friends 0.64
Total 71.4 0.92
Table VI Motivational factors rank ordered by mean
Rank Motivation dimension Mean score SD
1 Novelty and best price (Factor 3) 4.39 0.78
2 Shopping environment (Factor 1) 3.59 1.17
3 Bargain hunting (Factor 4) 2.95 0.99
4 Culture and socialization (Factor 2) 2.92 1.21
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the importance of each motivation item for
shopping cross-borderly from Mexico to the USA (1 – not at all important; 5 – extremely important)
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Motivational differences by socio-demographic groupings
The third research objective was to determine if there were signi?cant differences across
Mexican cross border shoppers’ socio-demographic characteristics in motivations. The results
of the ANOVA and post hoc (multiple comparison) tests on the socio-demographic variables
are presented in Table VII. No differences were detected except that between the informants
without employment and the self-employed informants on their attitude toward culture and
socialization. The latter gave a signi?cantly lower mean rating on this factor than the former.
Discussion
Tourismand shopping are inseparable. Shopping can offer an opportunity for a change from
the routine of daily life and thus represents a form of recreation (Tauber, 1972). Studies in the
retailing literature indicate that consumers may viewshopping experiences as entertainment
or recreation (Jones, 1999). In the tourism literature, shopping not only acts as a major
source of tourism income, but also provides a powerful attraction to tourists (Heung and Qu,
1998). In fact, shopping can act as one of the main purposes when tourists conduct their
travel activities, particularly when the travel entails crossing the border to another country.
This current study, using an integrating approach combining retailing literature on shopping
motivations and tourism literature viewing cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented
activities, explores the shopping patterns and possible reasons driving Mexican
cross-border travelers to shop in the USA. The Mexican tourist-shoppers in this study
were young and well-educated. They arrived in the US by car and would stay overnight,
even for multiple nights, predominantly at a hotel. These Mexican cross-border shoppers
visited the US at least once or more a year, many of whom traveled to the US very frequently
Table VII Variation in motivation factors by socio-demographic characteristics
Mean for dependent variables
Independent variable
Shopping
environment
Culture and
socialization
Novelty and best
price
Bargain
hunting
Age
Under 21 3.20 3.17 4.25 3.00
21-30 3.23 2.96 4.24 3.03
31-40 3.40 2.46 4.30 2.67
41-50 4.00 3.12 4.68 3.17
51 and older 4.18 3.32 4.52 2.95
F-test 2.25 1.34 1.02 0.69
Education
No college degree 3.65 3.32 4.63 2.51
College degree 3.52 2.74 4.31 3.11
Post graduate degree 3.83 3.08 4.46 2.82
F-test 0.36 1.59 1.18 2.57
Marital status
Not married 3.25 2.64 4.29 2.99
Married 3.74 3.04 4.44 2.93
F-test 3.02 1.74 0.69 0.06
Occupation
Employed 3.41 3.08 4.47 3.01
Not employed 3.72 3.29
a
4.35 3.10
Self-employed 3.57 2.47
b
4.36 2.74
F-test 0.43 3.70* 0.18 1.02
Gender
Male 3.60 2.68 4.35 3.01
Female 3.57 3.15 4.44 2.89
F-test 0.02 2.97 0.28 0.30
Notes: Signi?cance at the *p,0.05 level;
a,b
the mean difference is signi?cant at the p,0.05 level in
post hoc tests
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for the primary purpose of shopping. They tended to spend more on themselves during this
particular trip. They preferred to purchase men’s apparel, women’s apparel and gifts,
followed closely by children’s apparel and accessories, perfume and cosmetics, and
souvenirs, ?ndings similar to Turner and Reisinger’s (2001) study. Ghaddar and Brown
(2005) document a variety of items on which Mexicans spend their money when they cross
the border to shop. Clothing items constitute more than 40 percent of total expenditures.
Other studies ?nd many cross-border shoppers to be fashion conscious, less price and time
sensitive, innovators and con?dent cosmopolitans with no loyalties to particular stores. To a
certain extent this research study has con?rmed these ?ndings.
Although a number of reasons motivate cross-border shoppers, some prevalent motivations
are:
B lower prices;
B better quality;
B goods and services not found in home area;
B better customer service;
B comfortable shopping environment; and
B convenient opening hours (Wang, 2004).
Mexicans maintain a higher perception as to the quality of goods purchased in the USA.
They tend to view the items superior and so do their peers. Further, Mexicans may purchase
goods for resale in Mexico because of both the price and the status differentials. Although
designer goods are available in Mexico in shopping venues, like the Polanco, Mexicans
continue to visit the US to purchase the goods. Polanco, a formerly quiet residential section
in Mexico City, has become the Rodeo Drive of Mexico. Many designer brands are available,
but not at outlet prices. In this study, price tended to be a consistent aspect in the reason for
shopping in the USA. When a retailer or shopping center combines the factors of price,
quality, good customer service, and a comfortable environment, it will attract Mexican
cross-border shoppers. Additionally, a level of cultural sensitivity, signage and
announcements in Spanish, and bilingual employees will likely make the cross-border
experience more enjoyable.
Similar to Wang’s (2004) study on Hong Konger’s cross-border shopping in Shenzhen, the
current exploration on cross-border shopping motivations also produced mixed results.
Cross-border shopping motivations, just like the retail shopping motivations, should contain
two driving forces, namely the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The
?ndings of this study suggest that cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas
demonstrated a combination of the two aspects. On one hand, shopping in Texas was
driven by the economic reasons of lower prices of goods, special sales, and obtaining the
best prices. On the other hand, the leisure-seeking type of motivations, such as the
opportunities for pursuing novelty, pleasure, entertainment, and cultural differences, as well
as hunting bargain, was also regarded as important. These Mexican cross-border shoppers
were motivated by a complex set of forces even if economic ones were the most noticeable.
The cross-border consumption and shopping by Mexican residents in Texas were both
functional and recreational. Similar to Wang’s (2004) research ?ndings, this mixture of
shopping reasons by Mexicans when visiting a very different retail environment on the
opposite side of the border made this case unique and fascinating.
The exploration of tourist-shopper characteristics has substantial implications for retail
development (Turner and Reisinger, 2001). Shopping is the number one activity while
traveling. Tourism is very important to the retail trade. With an idea of what motivates
cross-border shoppers to purchase in foreign markets, retailers should be better able to
attempt to ?ll those needs. Speci?c factors and trends drive potential opportunities in Mexico
for American retailers. Some of the factors include:
1. growing regional markets;
2. a youthful population;
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3. a disin?ationary economy; and
4. cross-border links with the USA (Retail Forward, 2003).
If retailers want to appeal to the Hispanic culture, they need to be aware that apparel should
be tight ?tting, fun, and lively. Clothing should be trendy, but price conscious. Buildings need
to have exteriors with bright colors and sharp geometric designs consistent with the
Hispanic orientation. Mexican shoppers consider customer service extremely important and
are convinced by attention to delivery with reliability, dependability, and politeness. Retailers
who serve the Mexican consumers should employ people who understand these values.
Turning shopping into an enjoyable experience has become a frequent strategy of many
retailers in tourist destinations. Retailers should offer more facilitation and convenience, such
as a large variety of brand-name shopping items on clothes, cosmetics, and gifts. With a
better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border shopping, this study
adapted Wee et al.’s model to capture the stimulating in?uence of the retail environment
(Figure 1).
Shopping, particularly in the package tours of urban tourism, is an important area in the
process of tourism planning involving a variety of stakeholders (Westbrook and Black,
1985). While shopping may not be the speci?c motivation for visiting a particular location,
the potential shopping opportunities may well be the attraction and the most universal of
tourist activities. Shopping centers as a tourist pursuit are important because they create
an inviting environment and incentive to travel and develop a source of pleasure and
excitement (Jansen-Verbeke, 1987). Tourism planners can use cross-border shopping as
part of the overall tourism development plan to market a destination as a shopping
paradise for international visitors. They can offer a complete tourist package, which
includes a variety of products, favorable price, perception of bargain shopping, easy
accessibility, and availability of entertainment facilities. All these factors will add extras to
the tour packages and make tourists feel they are getting a good value for money
Figure 1 Retail area attributes that in?uence cross-border shopping
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(Ngamsom, 1998). The packages create ‘‘the shopping place to visit’’, which may not ?nd
in the travelers’ home country. A particular shopping trip will feature culturally different
products, exotic shopping environment, exciting shopping experiences, opportunity to
see the life of local people, and increased contacts with friends (Ngamsom, 1998).
Promotions of such kind of shopping trips lead to a ‘‘must visit’’ destination (Ngamsom,
1998).
Understanding travel motives of cross-border visitors will aid both retailers, shopping
center developers, and travel planners. Yu¨ ksel (2004) concludes the ability to generate a
satisfactory shopping experience represents a competitive advantage for destinations.
For shopping center developers in Texas, the Mexican cross-border shopper is very
important as a frequent customer and a customer planning to spend large sums of
money. One must understand the shopping experience of the Mexicans to completely
understand their motivations when shopping in the USA. The purpose of combining
leisure with shopping is to target shoppers more effectively, encourage longer visits, gain
a competitive advantage and create an image that is marketable. Finally, this study
developed a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourism in this
process (Figure 2).
Limitations
No demographic differences were detected between the motivation factors in this study.
Dawson and Garland (1983) studied Mexican nationals who shopped across border in the
US and conclude that Mexican cross-border shoppers were generally dissatis?ed with local
shopping conditions, were more af?uent, concentrated their purchases on more portable
products. However, researches also generally agree that not all demographic
characteristics were good descriptors of the average cross-border shopper. This group of
Mexican cross-border tourist-shoppers in the current study would be viewed as a
homogenous group with similar perceptions and motivations.
The study modestly con?rms the existence of theoretically rooted dimensions of shopping
motivation. This result evidently shows dif?culty of measuring shopping motivation, a fact
that has been found in Westbrook and Black’s (1985) study on motivation-based shopper
typology. The presence of some marginally acceptable measures and construct reliability
observed in this investigation suggests caution in interpreting indications of the motivation
factor. It is unclear whether the modest reliability noted in one of the constructs is primarily
due to random-error variance or unique-construct variance.
Figure 2 Promotional factors that might encourage cross-border shopping
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About the authors
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality
& Retailing, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Deborah C. Fowler is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality
& Retailing, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Ben K. Goh is a Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality & Retailing, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Mitzi K. Lauderdale is an Associate Editor at the Department of Personal Financial Planning,
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA. Mitzi K. Lauderdale is the corresponding
author and can be contacted at: [email protected]
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doc_892229195.pdf
This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican
tourist-shoppers to the USA. More specifically, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on
shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this
study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the USA
J ingxue (J essica) Yuan Deborah C. Fowler Ben K. Goh Mitzi K. Lauderdale
Article information:
To cite this document:
J ingxue (J essica) Yuan Deborah C. Fowler Ben K. Goh Mitzi K. Lauderdale , (2013),"Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the
USA", International J ournal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 7 Iss 4 pp. 394 - 410
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Mexican cross-border shoppers’
motivations to the USA
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan, Deborah C. Fowler, Ben K. Goh and Mitzi K. Lauderdale
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican
tourist-shoppers to the USA. More speci?cally, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on
shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this
study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers.
Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument was developed incorporating a set of 30
shopping motivation questions. Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology from 92
Mexican visitors who shopped at a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas in 2007. The
motivational items were subsequently factor analyzed for possible underlying dimensions.
Findings – Motivations of cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas demonstrated a combination of
two aspects, the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The cross-border consumption and
shopping by Mexican residents in Texas, therefore, were both functional and recreational.
Originality/value – With a better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border
shopping, this study developed a model to capture the stimulating in?uence of the retail environment as
well as a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourismin the process of developing
a ‘‘must visit’’ destination.
Keywords Cross-border shopping, Shopping motivations, Tourist shoppers
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Shopping is an increasingly important element in leisure and tourism. Shopping during travel
re?ects the increasing emphasis on consumption in modern society, and the importance the
acquisition of material goods assumes in many people’s lives (Featherstone, 1991; Shields,
1992). Leisure shopping is one of the most popular global tourist activities. In some
destinations (e.g. Hong Kong and Paris) shopping has become a core element of the tourist
attraction contributing signi?cantly to the retail trade. Cross-border shopping is one
particular aspect of both shopping and tourism. Shopping tourism in border areas takes
place all over the world and is increasing in popularity (Jansen-Verbeke, 1990). The leading
countries where cross-border shopping occurs are France, Spain, and the USA (Cross
Border Shopping Report, 2002).
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) spurred international border trading
between the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Since this agreement in 1994, Mexico’s and
Canada’s shares of overall US international trade and travel have grown. According to the
US Department of Transportation (2001), the value of US merchandise trade with Canada
and Mexico was $653 billion. Not surprisingly, nine of the top ten origins and destinations for
cross-border shoppers are border states with large manufacturing bases, such as Michigan,
Texas, California, New York and Ohio. Nearly, one-third of all NAFTA surface trade in the US
is with Michigan, California, and Texas (North American Trade and Travel Trends, 2001).
PAGE 394
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VOL. 7 NO. 4 2013, pp. 394-410, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1750-6182 DOI 10.1108/IJCTHR-02-2013-0004
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan,
Deborah C. Fowler, and
Ben K. Goh are based in the
Department of Nutrition,
Hospitality & Retailing,
Texas Tech University,
Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Mitzi K. Lauderdale is
based in the Department of
Personal Financial
Planning, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, Texas,
USA.
Received 4 February 2013
Revised 4 February 2013
Accepted 4 February 2013
The authors thank Minsun Jeon,
a graduate assistant at the
Department of Nutrition,
Hospitality & Retailing, Texas
Tech University, for her help in
this article.
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Mexican cross-border shoppers have become very important to certain segments of the US
business economy. Because of its shared border with the USA, Mexico is unique among
global retail markets. The border links 20 million Americans of Mexican origin plus another
unknown number of undocumented residents, representing one of the biggest and fastest
growing ethnic markets in the USA (Retail Forward, 2003). The border between the USA and
Mexico has a powerful impact on the cultural, social, political, and economic landscape of
the border states, particularly in the State of Texas. Many Hispanics of Mexican descent
living in Texas say ‘‘we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us’’. Whether discussions
relate to Santa Ana, the Alamo, migrant workers, legal immigrants, heritage or the history of
the six ?ags governing the current State of Texas, the USA-Mexico border represents a
general area where the two meet in harmony. The growing Hispanic population in the
Southwestern US and the increasing economic resources of the fronterizos of Mexico have
combined to enlarge that region often referred to as Mexamerica (Ganster and Lorey, 2005).
Mexicans cross the US border to purchase a variety of products and services. Mexico’s
youthful population heavily supports cross-border shopping since Mexico has an incredibly
youthful market with more than 50 percent of Mexicans under 24 (Retail Forward, 2003). This
youthful market focuses on fashion, toys, and other items appealing to younger people.
Many shopping centers in Texas treat the very rich Mexican tourist just as Las Vegas treats
the high roller gamblers. The potential for retail sales is great as demonstrated by the
signi?cant role in the economies of some of the border cities and towns. In 2003 alone, more
than 38 million noncommercial crossings took place at the bridges along the Texas-Mexico
border. The majority of these individuals were coming to purchase goods to take back to
their home country (Phillips and Coronado, 2005). Clearly, Mexican cross-border shoppers
have greatly impacted retailers’ pro?ts in certain areas. For example, Mexican shoppers
spent $962 million in Arizona department and grocery stores (Charney and
Pavlakovich-Kochi, 2002). Estimated expenditures by Mexican shoppers in the lower Rio
Grande Valley reached $1.4 billion (Ghaddar et al., 2003). Four times more Mexicans are
crossing into the US to shop today than Canadians. In 1991, 167,000 Canadian passengers
entered the US Today that number has dropped to about 60,000 (Niemira, 2005). The
Mexican cross-border shopper is becoming a more important factor to American retailers
than their Canadian counterparts. American retailers need more extensive and detailed data
on the Mexican cross-border shopper.
The subject of cross-border shopping as a tourist activity has also been relatively under
researched. This study, therefore, focuses on Mexican tourist-shoppers who cross the
border to shop at an outlet mall in central Texas. Speci?cally, this study examines why these
Mexican travelers shop across the border in the USA, using integrated literature from two
ends – retailing literature on shopping motivations and tourism literature viewing
cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented activities. The study accomplishes the
following objectives:
1. To investigate the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican tourist-shoppers.
2. To determine the motivations of Mexican tourists as cross-border shoppers.
3. To examine if socio-demographic characteristics varied with their motivations for
cross-border shopping.
Literature review
Cross-border shopping as tourism
Traditional de?nitions of international tourists normally encompass such elements as
temporary travel, crossing an international border, and pleasure as a purpose of the trip
(Ganster and Lorey, 2005). Cross-border shoppers, in that sense, are considered tourists
since they cross another country’s border for the explicit purpose of shopping, which acts as
a powerful force for tourism activity (Di Matteo and Di Matteo, 1996). If an individual,
motivated by pleasure, or a combination of economics and pleasure, intentionally cross the
border to shop, he or she ought to be a tourist (Timothy and Butler, 1995). The concept of
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tourist-shoppers would thus describe the travelers who make retail purchase outside their
home country and who identify shopping as a primary motive for going abroad.
Tourist-shoppers may seek unique products and are concerned about the brand names,
product and package size, price, product attributes, and location of stores (Yu¨ ksel and Atila,
2004).
The genesis of research associated with cross-border shoppers in the retailing literature was
Reilly’s work (1931). Converse (1949) and Huff (1964) expanded on Reilly’s line of thought.
These three studies form the basis of the macro-analytical approach to the study of
cross-border shopping. Hermann and Beik (1968) and Thompson (1972) continued the
research and conclude cross-border shoppers had higher incomes, fewer children living at
home, more out-of-town charge accounts, and negative attitudes concerning the price
selection of merchandise in the local area, and as a group were younger than the remainder
of the population.
Typically, in the literature on travel behavior, the de?nition of tourism does not include
shopping as a motivator. However, as one of the most pervasive leisure activities engaged in
by tourists, shopping has become an increasingly important tourism motivator (Timothy and
Butler, 1995; Yu¨ ksel and Yu¨ ksel, 2006). According to the Tourism Industries/Trade
Administration, international visitors spend about $18 billion dollars annually while shopping
in the USA. Nearly, 90 percent of overseas travelers engage in shopping activity (Brookman,
1998). For many tourists, shopping is frequently a powerful factor in the decision to cross a
border for a trip. Many cross-border shoppers combine shopping with vacations and
holidays and are willing to spend extra time and money such a trip requires (Cross Border
Shopping Report, 2005).
Recent tourism studies offer insight about cross-border shopping as a recreation type of
tourism in which people travel to ful?ll their needs of leisure, enjoyment, or entertainment.
Cross-border shopping creates an incentive to travel and may produce a source of pleasure
and excitement. Researchers agree that shopping is not de?ned as shopping activity when
the purpose of the trip comes only from economic motives (Ngamsom, 1998). Wang (2004)
provides a number of rationales to support the tourism view of cross-border shopping. First
of all, cross-border shopping trips are not routinely taken (Mares, 1990). Second,
cross-border shoppers need to travel to a foreign country and spend time and money there
(Murphy, 1985; Ryan, 1991). Furthermore, cross-border shopping becomes a leisure activity
especially when the purchased items are non-essential (Timothy and Butler, 1995). The
further one travels, the more likely crossing the border involves leisure or tourism-oriented
activities (Jansen-Verbeke, 1990).
Cross-border shopping can actually function as an attraction because the activity serves
people’s needs and provides the opportunities for them to pursue enjoyment. Often times
cross-border shopping is interesting and pleasurable enough to motivate people to travel for
the purpose of the experience. Shopping abroad is popular, as the traveler ?nds a different
and alluring selection of merchandise not available in one’s home country, as well as the
quality and attractiveness of the shopping environment involved. Thus, the development of
shopping sectors is an important instrument in international tourism promotion. Retail stores
are now an integral part of the infrastructure in many destinations and make a signi?cant
contribution to the tourism industry (Timothy and Butler, 1995; Yu¨ ksel, 2004). The
development of mega-malls as tourist attractions and destinations represents a new
development in tourism (Butler, 1991).
Retail shopping motivations
Researchers in the retailing ?eld have made numerous attempts to explore the critical
question of why people shop. As the entertainment aspect of retailing, or ‘‘entertainling’’,
increasingly becomes a key competitive tool in the changing landscape of the retail industry,
some argue shopping motivations should be viewed within the totality of the shopping
experience, which consists of the utilitarian and the hedonic aspects of consumption (Arnold
and Reynolds, 2003). The word ‘‘rational’’ characterizes the utilitarian aspects, which are
related closely to the acquisition of a product. Hedonic consumption is driven by the ‘‘fun’’ a
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consumer has in using the product, and focuses essentially on the aesthetic, or the hedonic
ful?llment, such as experiencing fun, amusement, fantasy, and sensory stimulation.
Tauber’s seminal study in 1972 develops a motivational compendium in which the motives
for shopping are categorized as either personal or social. The six personal motives are:
1. opportunity for role playing (grocery shopping by a housewife);
2. diversion from daily routine (recreation);
3. provision of self-grati?cation (to alleviate depression);
4. learning about newtrends, fashions, and innovations (information seeking, getting ideas);
5. obtaining physical activity (a walk round the shops); and
6. sensory stimulation from the retail environment (visual, sound, scent).
The ?ve social motives are:
1. social interaction outside the home (seeking new acquaintances, direct encounters with
friends);
2. communication with others having similar interests;
3. peer group attractions (‘‘hanging out’’);
4. obtaining social status and authority (a feeling of power when being waited on by store
personnel); and
5. pleasure of bargaining.
The basic premise of the hypotheses is shoppers are motivated by many variables, some of
which are psychosocial needs unrelated to the actual buying of product.
Westbrook and Black (1985) capture seven dimensions of fundamental shopping motives:
1. anticipated utility of prospective purchases;
2. enactment of an economic shopping role;
3. negotiation to obtain price concessions from the seller;
4. optimization of merchandise choice in terms of matching shoppers’ needs and desires;
5. af?liation with reference groups;
6. exercise of power and authority in marketplace exchanges; and
7. sensory stimulation from the marketplace.
All these motivations contain both hedonic and utilitarian elements, though some might be
more utilitarian in nature while others are more hedonic oriented.
Arnold and Reynolds (2003) investigate the hedonic reasons people go shopping. Six broad
categories of hedonic shopping motivations emerge as the following:
1. adventure shopping (stimulation, adventure, and the feeling of being in another world);
2. social shopping (enjoyment of shopping with friends and family, socializing and bonding
with others while shopping);
3. grati?cation shopping (shopping for stress relief, to alleviate a negative mood, and as a
special treat to oneself);
4. idea shopping (to keep with trends and new fashions, and to see new products and
innovations);
5. role shopping (enjoyment derived from shopping for others, and the excitement and
intrinsic joy felt by shoppers when ?nding the perfect gift for others); and
6. value shopping (shopping for sales, looking for discounts, and hunting for bargains).
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The contribution of these studies is the recognition that shopping behavior may arise:
B principally to acquire the products for which needs are experienced (product-oriented);
B both to acquire the desired product and to provide satisfaction for various additional
non-product-related needs (a combination of product and experiential); or
B principally to serve the needs unrelated to the acquisition of the product (experiential),
featuring a hedonic or recreational orientation in which shopping occurs for the pleasure
inherent in the visit (Westbrook and Black, 1985).
Thus, shopping happens for:
B economic reasons (i.e. allocation of the necessary time, effort, and money to obtain
required products and services); and/or
B personal or social reasons (e.g. seeking attention, desires to be with peers, desires to
meet people with similar interests, getting exercise, or simply spending leisure time)
(Westbrook and Black, 1985).
Tourist cross-border shopping motivations
Tourists often travel just to shop. Despite the importance of shopping, tourist shopping
research is still in an exploratory stage. Why do tourist-shoppers shop across the border?
Cross-border shopping can be highly rational (i.e. it responds quickly and dramatically to
changes in the economic systems). This economic viewof cross-border shopping prevails in
many studies. Examples include the Canadian cross-border shoppers shopping in the USA
(Chatterjee, 1991; Evans et al., 1992; Rotenberg and Yannopoulous, 1997), the two popular
cross-border shopping areas between Thailand and Myanmar and between Malaysia and
Thailand (Ngamsom, 1998), Singaporeans shopping in neighboring Malaysia (Tanshuhaj
et al., 1989; Piron, 2000), Irish shopping in the Northern Ireland (Fitzgerald et al., 1988), and
cross-border shopping between Denmark and Germany (Bygvra` , 1998, 1999). These
studies, stemming from the retailing literature, suggest that cross-border shopping are
primarily a rational choice, motivated by economic reasons such as lower price, better
quality, and more variety.
In contrast to this functional view, others, mainly in the tourism ?eld, consider
cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented activities. In other words, cross-border
shopping can also be primarily pleasure focused (Timothy and Butler, 1995).
Cross-border shopping, like other tourism activities, may have had some psychological
status and prestige motivations such as the desire for recognition or attention, ful?llment
and social or personal achievement (Mayo and Jarvis, 1981). Many people ?nd hunting
bargains, spending, and going somewhere different very pleasurable. This is especially
true if the experience involves traveling abroad, as the trip provides the fascination of
experiencing cultural differences, spending foreign currency, and eating exotic foods.
Studies on short cross-border trips between Canada and the US report that while
shopping is a very important motivation, activities such as sightseeing, vacationing and
resting also rank high (Dilley et al., 1991; Kreck, 1985). Novelty-seeking, exercising and
experiencing local culture and customs are the major factors motivating Hong Kong
tourists to shop at Tourist Night Markets in Taiwan (Hsieh and Chang, 2006). International
visitors provided a variety of reasons for buying products in Hong Kong, of which
fashion/novelty, unique/special/attractive, and preference are related to the hedonic
aspect of shopping (Wong and Law, 2003).
Wang (2004) positioned his exploration on motivations of Hong Konger’s cross-border
shopping in Shenzhen, China, in the context of the two diverging views on the driving forces
of cross-border shopping, namely economical and leisure oriented. The study produced
some mixed results. The ?ndings suggest that cross-border consumption and shopping by
Hong Kong residents in Shenzhen entails both aspects. On the one hand, shopping in
Shenzhen was driven by the economic reason of lower prices of goods and services in
Shenzhen (the factors on price advantage of Shenzhen, and favorable rate of Hong Kong
dollar). On the other hand, the leisure-seeking type of motivation, such as the opportunities
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for bargaining (the factor on shopping manner and environment), showed high level of
importance as well. Moreover, the shopping activity was often combined visits to restaurants
and other social and leisure activities.
International tourists, therefore, may seek utilitarian and/or pleasurable shopping
experiences, similar to the motivators driving the retail shoppers. They may have multiple
motives for a single cross-border shopping trip. To a certain extent, the necessity for
shopping and the attraction of exotic and bargain shopping opportunities could urge people
to leave their home country for cross-border shopping. Meanwhile, the desire for relaxation,
escaping from the mundane and accepting a challenge associated with shopping could
draw people to cross the border to a destination country (Law and Au, 2000). Many
cross-border shoppers are touristic in nature based on their motivation for travel in pursuit of
pleasurable experiences (Timothy and Butler, 1995).
Method
Survey instrument
The instrument was developed by the researchers after studying many articles, books, and
several other studies based on the subjects of cross-border shopping and retail shopping
motivations. While most of the available studies and journal articles are related to
cross-border shopping in either Canada or Europe, the techniques and data collected were
very similar in focus. The instrument was available both in English and Spanish. The Spanish
version was translated and back translated by persons skilled in translating English and
Spanish. A set of 30 shopping motivation questions were constructed. A review of relevant
literature on:
B retail shopping motivations; and
B cross-border shopping as tourist activities was used to develop the pool of measurement
items.
Informants were asked to indicate the importance of the reasons to shop in the US on a
?ve-point Likert scale where 1 meant ‘‘not important’’ and 5 meant ‘‘very important.’’
Questions on cross-border shoppers’ demographics, trip characteristics, and other
shopping-related behavior were also incorporated in the questionnaire.
Data collection
Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology during the weekend of
February 23-25, 2007, in a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas. Central Texas
attracts a number of international visitors throughout the year, many of whom arrive via
automobile, bus, and airplane. Shoppers were approached using the intercept technique in
the food court area of the shopping center. Research assistants con?rmed the informants
were international visitors prior to issuing a survey. After the completion of the survey, the
informants received an incentive valued at $10. A total of 150 questionnaires were gathered
during the three-day data collection period. Because of the focus of this study, the data were
screened using two criteria:
1. the informant’s primary purpose of the trip was shopping; and
2. the informant’s country of residence was Mexico.
This process produced 92 usable questionnaires which formed the ?nal set of the data for
statistical analyses.
Data analysis procedures
The analyses of the study consisted of four distinct elements. The respondents’
socio-demographic, trip characteristics, and preferred shopping behavior were pro?led
in frequencies and percentages. Second, the 30 motivational elements were examined
by computing the means of the importance scores. The top ten items were ranked. The
30 motivational items were then factor analyzed by using a principal component method
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combined with varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization. Common factorial criteria were
used in extracting the factors. Due to the small sample size, variables with factor
loadings above 0.50 were entered into the ?nal model. Factors also had to have
eigenvalues greater than one, and together must explain a substantial share of the total
variance.
A four-factor solution emerged in which 19 motivational items remained. Eliminations of the
11 items took place either because the items had low loading scores (less than 0.50), or
because the items had multiple loadings above 0.50. The total variance explained by the
model increased in the process of the deletions. To test the internal consistency of these
factors, reliability analyses were conducted based on the average inter-item correlation.
Finally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the computed combined factor
means by socio-demographic characteristics (i.e. age, education, marital status,
occupation, and gender).
Results and discussion
Sample pro?les on demographic/trip characteristics and shopping patterns
Because Central Texas is a popular destination for Mexicans, this study focuses on the
shopping behavior of 92 Mexican citizens. The socio-demographic characteristics of the
informants are presented in Table I. The greatest number were aged 31-40 (28 percent),
followed by ages 21-30 (27 percent), ages 41-50 (20 percent), and ages 51 and older (20
percent), with a small number under age 21 (5 percent). Most of the informants (78 percent)
had a college or postgraduate degree (bachelor, master, or doctorate). The majority (71
percent) were married. Many were self-employed (39 percent) or not employed (34 percent),
including 19 housewives. Females (49 percent) and males (51 percent) were nearly evenly
split.
Table II displays the trip characteristics of the informants. How did the informants travel to
cross the border? The majority (76 percent) drove an automobile, 20 percent arrived by
airplane, and 4 percent arrived on a bus. Many informants traveled with their spouses
Table I Demographic pro?le of Mexican cross-border shoppers
Variable Frequency %
Age
Under 21 5 5.4
21-30 25 27.2
31-40 26 28.3
41-50 18 19.6
51 and older 18 19.6
Education
No college degree 20 21.7
College degree 59 64.1
Post graduate degree 13 14.1
Marital status
Not married 27 29.3
Married 65 70.7
Occupation
Employed 24 26.1
Not employed 31 33.7
Self-employed 36 39.1
Missing 1 1.1
Gender
Male 45 48.9
Female 47 51.1
Note: n ¼ 92
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and/or relatives. The group size was either two to three (39 percent) or four to ?ve (37
percent). The majority (64 percent) planned to stay one to three nights in the USA. Some
even indicted a planned stay of four to ?ve nights (28 percent). Staying in a hotel (78
percent) was the informants’ primary choice of accommodations. The informants either
used a rental car (46 percent) or drove their own car (42 percent) while moving around in
town.
Approximately, 27 percent of the informants traveled twice to the US in the past 12 months to
shop, 19 percent traveled three times a year, 11 percent traveled once a year, 10 percent
four times a year, 9 percent six times a year, and 8 percent ?ve times a year. During the
current trip, the informants spent or planned to spend an average of $293 on gifts for others
(min. ¼ $0; max. ¼ $3,000), and $1,386 on goods for themselves (min. ¼ $0;
max. ¼ $42,500). What types of products were purchased by the informants while in the
USA? The ?ve highest mean scores on a ?ve-point scale are presented in Table III. The scale
ranged from 1 (never), 2 (seldom), 3 (occasionally), 4 (frequently), to 5 (very frequently).
Informants tended to buy more on men’s apparel, and women’s apparel, which were
followed closely by gifts, children’s apparel and accessories, and perfume and cosmetics.
Table II Trip characteristics of Mexican cross-border shoppers
Variable Frequency %
Means to travel across the border
Automobile 70 76.1
Airplane 18 19.6
Bus 4 4.3
Travel party type (multiple choices)
Alone 0
With children 26
With colleagues 3
With friends 27
As part of a group 0
With relatives 34
With spouse 41
Group size
2-3 36 39.1
4-5 34 37.0
.5 19 20.7
Missing 2 3.3
Length of stay
Same-day trip 2 2.2
1-2 nights 23 25.0
3 nights 36 39.1
4-5 nights 26 28.3
.5 nights 3 3.3
Missing 2 2.2
Accommodation
Not stay overnight 5 5.4
Hotel 72 78.3
Relative’s 2 2.2
Friend’s 6 6.5
Other 7 7.6
Primary means of transportation when traveling around
Rental car 42 45.7
Public transportation 5 5.4
Taxi cabs 1 1.1
Walking 1 1.1
Own car 39 42.4
Other’s car 2 2.2
Missing 2 2.2
Note: n ¼ 92
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Cross-border shopping motivations
The second objective of the study concerns the critical question. What might have motivated
the informants to visit the US on such a shopping trip? The ten highest mean scores on a
?ve-point scale are presented in Table IV. The scale ranged from 1 (not important) to 5 (very
important). All the ten items received an average rating above 4. The most important reasons
cited by the informants were similar to that of previous studies:
B getting the best price;
B lower prices;
B special sales;
B better quality; and
B opportunity to shop at new and different places (Wang, 2004).
The factor analysis on motivations produced a four-factor solution. Each dimension had an
eigenvalue above 1.0 and explained more than 9 percent of the variance. The total variance
explained was approximately 71 percent. The total Cronbach’s a value indicated that the
model had high level of internal consistency (a ¼ 0.92). The four dimensions were then
labeled according to the variables that carried higher factor loadings within each particular
factor (Table V). The factors are named as:
1. shopping environment (a ¼ 0.93);
2. culture and socialization (a ¼ 0.89);
3. novelty and best price (a ¼ 0.86); and
4. bargain hunting (a ¼ 0.58).
High degree of internal consistency was shown for all factors except the last one.
Table III Top ?ve product items normally purchased in the USA
Rank Product item Mean score SD
1 Men’s apparel 4.34 0.98
2 Women’s apparel 4.22 1.18
3 Gifts 3.78 1.21
4 Children’s accessories 3.58 1.51
5 Perfumes and cosmetics 3.55 1.34
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the frequency of each product item
purchased in the USA (1 – never; 5 – very frequently)
Table IV Top ten cross-border shopping motivations
Rank Motivation Mean score SD
1 Getting the best price 4.56 0.83
2 Low price 4.47 0.87
3 Special sales 4.45 0.89
4 Better quality 4.44 0.88
5 Shopping at new and different places 4.38 0.90
6 Shopping as a pleasant activity 4.16 1.21
7 Seeking bargaining 4.14 1.15
8 Enjoying places with both shopping and entertainment 4.13 1.05
9 Better value for money 4.08 1.20
10 Not found in home country 4.00 1.07
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the importance of each motivation item
for shopping cross-borderly from Mexico to the USA (1 – not at all important; 5 – extremely
important)
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The informants attached varying degree of importance to the four motivational factors
(Table VI). Novelty and best price (Factor 3) received the highest importance rating among
the four motivational factors. Shopping environment (Factor 1) was another high scored
factor, receiving an importance rating just below novelty and best price. However, novelty
and best price received signi?cantly a higher rating than did shopping environment
(t ¼ 7.23; p , 0.00). Both factors were perceived as more signi?cant motivators than the
other two factors in the informants’ decision making (novelty and best price vs bargain
hunting, t ¼ 11.43, p , 0.00; novelty and best price vs culture and socialization, t ¼ 11.22,
p , 0.00; shopping environment vs bargain hunting, t ¼ 4.37, p , 0.00; shopping
environment vs culture and socialization, t ¼ 4.829, p , 0.00). There was no difference in
terms of the mean importance ratings between bargain hunting (Factor 4) and culture and
socialization (Factor 2) (t ¼ 0.20, p ¼ 0.84).
The respondents’ motivations to shop across the border were primarily characterized by two
dimensions:
1. seeking novelty and best price, a mixture of psychosocial needs of diversion from daily
routine and economic reasons associated with price; and
2. shopping environment, features of quality and attractiveness probably not found in one’s
home country.
Table V Exploratory factor analysis results of cross-border shopping motivations
Subscales
Factor
loading
Eigen
value
Variance
explained
Reliability
coef?cient
Factor 1: shopping environment 4.32 22.8 0.93
Better customer service 0.88
Comfortable shopping environment 0.84
More sales staff 0.77
Friendlier staff 0.71
Convenient opening hours 0.71
More knowledgeable staff 0.67
Factor 2: culture and socialization 4.30 22.6 0.89
Tasting American culture 0.89
Uniqueness of the American culture 0.88
Experiencing another culture 0.74
Opportunity to socialize with friends 0.72
Increased contact with friends 0.65
Visiting places for entertainment 0.65
Factor 3: novelty and best price 3.19 16.8 0.86
Shopping at new and different places 0.83
Getting the best price 0.78
Special sales 0.77
Enjoying places with both shopping and entertainment 0.72
Factor 4: bargaining hunting 1.74 9.2 0.58
Enjoying the process of bargaining 0.74
Seeking bargaining 0.65
Following trends of friends 0.64
Total 71.4 0.92
Table VI Motivational factors rank ordered by mean
Rank Motivation dimension Mean score SD
1 Novelty and best price (Factor 3) 4.39 0.78
2 Shopping environment (Factor 1) 3.59 1.17
3 Bargain hunting (Factor 4) 2.95 0.99
4 Culture and socialization (Factor 2) 2.92 1.21
Note: Respondents used a ?ve-point Likert scale to indicate the importance of each motivation item for
shopping cross-borderly from Mexico to the USA (1 – not at all important; 5 – extremely important)
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Motivational differences by socio-demographic groupings
The third research objective was to determine if there were signi?cant differences across
Mexican cross border shoppers’ socio-demographic characteristics in motivations. The results
of the ANOVA and post hoc (multiple comparison) tests on the socio-demographic variables
are presented in Table VII. No differences were detected except that between the informants
without employment and the self-employed informants on their attitude toward culture and
socialization. The latter gave a signi?cantly lower mean rating on this factor than the former.
Discussion
Tourismand shopping are inseparable. Shopping can offer an opportunity for a change from
the routine of daily life and thus represents a form of recreation (Tauber, 1972). Studies in the
retailing literature indicate that consumers may viewshopping experiences as entertainment
or recreation (Jones, 1999). In the tourism literature, shopping not only acts as a major
source of tourism income, but also provides a powerful attraction to tourists (Heung and Qu,
1998). In fact, shopping can act as one of the main purposes when tourists conduct their
travel activities, particularly when the travel entails crossing the border to another country.
This current study, using an integrating approach combining retailing literature on shopping
motivations and tourism literature viewing cross-border shopping as leisure-oriented
activities, explores the shopping patterns and possible reasons driving Mexican
cross-border travelers to shop in the USA. The Mexican tourist-shoppers in this study
were young and well-educated. They arrived in the US by car and would stay overnight,
even for multiple nights, predominantly at a hotel. These Mexican cross-border shoppers
visited the US at least once or more a year, many of whom traveled to the US very frequently
Table VII Variation in motivation factors by socio-demographic characteristics
Mean for dependent variables
Independent variable
Shopping
environment
Culture and
socialization
Novelty and best
price
Bargain
hunting
Age
Under 21 3.20 3.17 4.25 3.00
21-30 3.23 2.96 4.24 3.03
31-40 3.40 2.46 4.30 2.67
41-50 4.00 3.12 4.68 3.17
51 and older 4.18 3.32 4.52 2.95
F-test 2.25 1.34 1.02 0.69
Education
No college degree 3.65 3.32 4.63 2.51
College degree 3.52 2.74 4.31 3.11
Post graduate degree 3.83 3.08 4.46 2.82
F-test 0.36 1.59 1.18 2.57
Marital status
Not married 3.25 2.64 4.29 2.99
Married 3.74 3.04 4.44 2.93
F-test 3.02 1.74 0.69 0.06
Occupation
Employed 3.41 3.08 4.47 3.01
Not employed 3.72 3.29
a
4.35 3.10
Self-employed 3.57 2.47
b
4.36 2.74
F-test 0.43 3.70* 0.18 1.02
Gender
Male 3.60 2.68 4.35 3.01
Female 3.57 3.15 4.44 2.89
F-test 0.02 2.97 0.28 0.30
Notes: Signi?cance at the *p,0.05 level;
a,b
the mean difference is signi?cant at the p,0.05 level in
post hoc tests
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for the primary purpose of shopping. They tended to spend more on themselves during this
particular trip. They preferred to purchase men’s apparel, women’s apparel and gifts,
followed closely by children’s apparel and accessories, perfume and cosmetics, and
souvenirs, ?ndings similar to Turner and Reisinger’s (2001) study. Ghaddar and Brown
(2005) document a variety of items on which Mexicans spend their money when they cross
the border to shop. Clothing items constitute more than 40 percent of total expenditures.
Other studies ?nd many cross-border shoppers to be fashion conscious, less price and time
sensitive, innovators and con?dent cosmopolitans with no loyalties to particular stores. To a
certain extent this research study has con?rmed these ?ndings.
Although a number of reasons motivate cross-border shoppers, some prevalent motivations
are:
B lower prices;
B better quality;
B goods and services not found in home area;
B better customer service;
B comfortable shopping environment; and
B convenient opening hours (Wang, 2004).
Mexicans maintain a higher perception as to the quality of goods purchased in the USA.
They tend to view the items superior and so do their peers. Further, Mexicans may purchase
goods for resale in Mexico because of both the price and the status differentials. Although
designer goods are available in Mexico in shopping venues, like the Polanco, Mexicans
continue to visit the US to purchase the goods. Polanco, a formerly quiet residential section
in Mexico City, has become the Rodeo Drive of Mexico. Many designer brands are available,
but not at outlet prices. In this study, price tended to be a consistent aspect in the reason for
shopping in the USA. When a retailer or shopping center combines the factors of price,
quality, good customer service, and a comfortable environment, it will attract Mexican
cross-border shoppers. Additionally, a level of cultural sensitivity, signage and
announcements in Spanish, and bilingual employees will likely make the cross-border
experience more enjoyable.
Similar to Wang’s (2004) study on Hong Konger’s cross-border shopping in Shenzhen, the
current exploration on cross-border shopping motivations also produced mixed results.
Cross-border shopping motivations, just like the retail shopping motivations, should contain
two driving forces, namely the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The
?ndings of this study suggest that cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas
demonstrated a combination of the two aspects. On one hand, shopping in Texas was
driven by the economic reasons of lower prices of goods, special sales, and obtaining the
best prices. On the other hand, the leisure-seeking type of motivations, such as the
opportunities for pursuing novelty, pleasure, entertainment, and cultural differences, as well
as hunting bargain, was also regarded as important. These Mexican cross-border shoppers
were motivated by a complex set of forces even if economic ones were the most noticeable.
The cross-border consumption and shopping by Mexican residents in Texas were both
functional and recreational. Similar to Wang’s (2004) research ?ndings, this mixture of
shopping reasons by Mexicans when visiting a very different retail environment on the
opposite side of the border made this case unique and fascinating.
The exploration of tourist-shopper characteristics has substantial implications for retail
development (Turner and Reisinger, 2001). Shopping is the number one activity while
traveling. Tourism is very important to the retail trade. With an idea of what motivates
cross-border shoppers to purchase in foreign markets, retailers should be better able to
attempt to ?ll those needs. Speci?c factors and trends drive potential opportunities in Mexico
for American retailers. Some of the factors include:
1. growing regional markets;
2. a youthful population;
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3. a disin?ationary economy; and
4. cross-border links with the USA (Retail Forward, 2003).
If retailers want to appeal to the Hispanic culture, they need to be aware that apparel should
be tight ?tting, fun, and lively. Clothing should be trendy, but price conscious. Buildings need
to have exteriors with bright colors and sharp geometric designs consistent with the
Hispanic orientation. Mexican shoppers consider customer service extremely important and
are convinced by attention to delivery with reliability, dependability, and politeness. Retailers
who serve the Mexican consumers should employ people who understand these values.
Turning shopping into an enjoyable experience has become a frequent strategy of many
retailers in tourist destinations. Retailers should offer more facilitation and convenience, such
as a large variety of brand-name shopping items on clothes, cosmetics, and gifts. With a
better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border shopping, this study
adapted Wee et al.’s model to capture the stimulating in?uence of the retail environment
(Figure 1).
Shopping, particularly in the package tours of urban tourism, is an important area in the
process of tourism planning involving a variety of stakeholders (Westbrook and Black,
1985). While shopping may not be the speci?c motivation for visiting a particular location,
the potential shopping opportunities may well be the attraction and the most universal of
tourist activities. Shopping centers as a tourist pursuit are important because they create
an inviting environment and incentive to travel and develop a source of pleasure and
excitement (Jansen-Verbeke, 1987). Tourism planners can use cross-border shopping as
part of the overall tourism development plan to market a destination as a shopping
paradise for international visitors. They can offer a complete tourist package, which
includes a variety of products, favorable price, perception of bargain shopping, easy
accessibility, and availability of entertainment facilities. All these factors will add extras to
the tour packages and make tourists feel they are getting a good value for money
Figure 1 Retail area attributes that in?uence cross-border shopping
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(Ngamsom, 1998). The packages create ‘‘the shopping place to visit’’, which may not ?nd
in the travelers’ home country. A particular shopping trip will feature culturally different
products, exotic shopping environment, exciting shopping experiences, opportunity to
see the life of local people, and increased contacts with friends (Ngamsom, 1998).
Promotions of such kind of shopping trips lead to a ‘‘must visit’’ destination (Ngamsom,
1998).
Understanding travel motives of cross-border visitors will aid both retailers, shopping
center developers, and travel planners. Yu¨ ksel (2004) concludes the ability to generate a
satisfactory shopping experience represents a competitive advantage for destinations.
For shopping center developers in Texas, the Mexican cross-border shopper is very
important as a frequent customer and a customer planning to spend large sums of
money. One must understand the shopping experience of the Mexicans to completely
understand their motivations when shopping in the USA. The purpose of combining
leisure with shopping is to target shoppers more effectively, encourage longer visits, gain
a competitive advantage and create an image that is marketable. Finally, this study
developed a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourism in this
process (Figure 2).
Limitations
No demographic differences were detected between the motivation factors in this study.
Dawson and Garland (1983) studied Mexican nationals who shopped across border in the
US and conclude that Mexican cross-border shoppers were generally dissatis?ed with local
shopping conditions, were more af?uent, concentrated their purchases on more portable
products. However, researches also generally agree that not all demographic
characteristics were good descriptors of the average cross-border shopper. This group of
Mexican cross-border tourist-shoppers in the current study would be viewed as a
homogenous group with similar perceptions and motivations.
The study modestly con?rms the existence of theoretically rooted dimensions of shopping
motivation. This result evidently shows dif?culty of measuring shopping motivation, a fact
that has been found in Westbrook and Black’s (1985) study on motivation-based shopper
typology. The presence of some marginally acceptable measures and construct reliability
observed in this investigation suggests caution in interpreting indications of the motivation
factor. It is unclear whether the modest reliability noted in one of the constructs is primarily
due to random-error variance or unique-construct variance.
Figure 2 Promotional factors that might encourage cross-border shopping
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About the authors
Jingxue (Jessica) Yuan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality
& Retailing, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Deborah C. Fowler is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality
& Retailing, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Ben K. Goh is a Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality & Retailing, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Mitzi K. Lauderdale is an Associate Editor at the Department of Personal Financial Planning,
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA. Mitzi K. Lauderdale is the corresponding
author and can be contacted at: [email protected]
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