Sport Consumer Behavior: Assessment and Direction

Within the general field of consumer behavior, a subset of research has emerged in recent years to examine consumer behavior relative to the unique products and services offered in the sport industry. Wells's (1993) discovery-oriented approach is utilized to critique prior sport consumer behavior research and discuss possible directions for scholars in the field. This critique illustrates that research and writing could benefit by a) exploring multiple aspects of the consumer decision-making process, b) greater attention to methodological issues, c) utilization of neighboring concepts, data, and problem solving strategies, d) development of holistic lines of research, and e) conducting research that generates questions, not just words to publish and investigating for the sake of investigating. We hope this broad critique, along with the other articles in the special issue, contribute to this growing subdiscipline and provide some frameworks for our ongoing effort to discover and understand.