International Journal of Hospitality Management Volume 26, Issue 1 , March 2007, Pages 98-116

The Four S's of experience gift giving behaviour

J. Clarke, a,
a

The Business School, Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley Campus, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 !X, U" #vaila$le online % &e$ruary '(()*

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the $ehaviour associated +ith the phenomenon of the ,ivin, and receivin, of ,ifts that are experiences* -ift ,ivin, theory has evolved around physical ,oods, to the detriment of $uildin, an explicit kno+led,e of intan,i$le ,ifts.the hospitality, leisure and tourism experiences* &ifty/t+o cases of experience ,ifts emer,ed from depth intervie+s +ith donors or recipients of different a,es, occupations and ,ender* # storyline of the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin,.surprise, suspense, sacrifice and sharin,.offered distinctive insi,hts into experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* e!"or#s$ 1xperience ,ifts2 -ift ,ivin,2 Tourism ,ifts2 Tourist $ehaviour

Article %utline
* 3ntroduction '* 4iterature revie+ '* * Basic ,ift/,ivin, concepts '*'* Core ,ift/,ivin, components '*3* -ift ,ivin, process models 3* 5esearch desi,n 6* &indin,s7 the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour 6* * Surprise 6*'* Suspense 6*3* Sacrifice 6*6* Sharin, 8* 9iscussion )* Conclusion 5eferences

&. 'ntro#uction
The ,ivin, and receivin, of presents is culturally em$edded in human societies across the ,lo$e* We ,ive to cele$rate key life events, to nurture personal relationships, to foster a medium of economic exchan,e, and to socialise offsprin, into the +ays of our respective cultures :Belk, ;%;<* -ift ,ivin, $ehaviour is an esta$lished su$=ect of study, +ith many concepts d+ellin, in the realms of anthropolo,y, and +ith roots that can $e traced to seminal +ork $y >auss : ;86< of ,ift exchan,e in primitive societies* Within mana,ement studies, the ,ivin, and receivin, of ,ifts is of inherent interest to the discipline of marketin,* 3n an early paper from a marketin, perspective, Banks : ;%;< stressed the self/perpetuatin, nature of the ,ivin, cycle.to ,ive, to receive and to repay .thus dra+in, attention to this important driver of purchase and consumption* 3n our increasin,ly +ealthy and individualised Western Societies, +e even hail the concept of the ?self/,ift@ :&aure and >ick, ;;32 >ick, ;;)2 >ick and 9e>oss, ;;'2 Olshavsky and 4ee, ;;32 Shapiro, ;;3<, presents to oneself, ,ifts.to echo the $rand 4@Oreal .@Because you@re +orth it@* The term ?,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour@ encompasses the concepts, participants and processes surroundin, the acAuisition, exchan,e and usa,e of phenomena conferred +ith ,ift status* Thus, it is concerned not only +ith the actual ,ivin, :as the term immediately conveys<, $ut +ith donor choice processes, recipient $ehaviour $efore, durin, and post/exchan,e, and the virtuous cycle of reciprocity* To date, despite research into many aspects of ,ift ,ivin,, little or no attention has $een ,iven to the experience :as opposed to the physical ,ood< as a ,ift, and the $ehaviour associated +ith such intan,i$le presents* By contrast, in the consumer +orld, the experience sector of the economy is flourishin,* 3n the commercial experience sector, experiences ran,in, the spectrum from adrenaline rush :for example, skydivin,< to relaxation :country hotel +eekends<, and from classic :health spa days< to $iBarrely creative :+alkin, +ith +olves<, are packa,ed up +ith other components :flexi$le vouchers, insurance, a relevant physical ,ood to enhance the experience<, in some examples literally $oxed up, and distri$uted for sale to the consumer throu,h traditional outlets or usin, +e$ technolo,y* 3n the U", this experience sector +as valued at C (( million in '(( :>intel, '(( 2 Consumers #ssociation, '(('<, and predicted to ,ro+ to C'3; million $y '((8 :>intel, '(( <* Brand names such as Dir,in 3ncentives and 1xperiences, #ctivity Superstores, Balloons over Britain, and 1veryman >otor 5acin, offer hassle/free experience products to the consumer2 accordin, to the then market leader :5ed 4etter 9ays 3ntervie+<, around ;(E are purchased as ,ifts for other people* To these specialists should $e added the multitude of hotels, health clu$s, sports centres, attraction or activity $usinesses and so forth +ho communicate experience products, $y default or other+ise, to the ,ift $uyin, pu$lic* #r,ua$ly, fe+ of these or,anisations capture the necessary data to reco,nise patterns of ,ift purchasin, or to profile their ,ift/$uyin, consumers* #lon,side this formal experience sector lies the

informal, +here consumers create their o+n experiences from carefully selected components, experiences that they desi,n to reflect their kno+led,e of the recipient and the messa,e that they +ish to convey throu,h the ,ivin, of this hi,hly individual experience ,ift* !itherto, this informal sector has $een lar,ely hidden from academic and industry ,aBe2 there are no estimates of its monetary value, althou,h effectively the consumer is actin, as competitor to the commercial experience sector* This seminal paper explores the consumer $ehaviour exhi$ited in the ,ivin,, receivin, and usa,e of experiences that have $een conferred the status of ,ifts as defined $y informants* 3t encompasses experiences from the formal and informal sectors, as $oth sectors offer intri,uin, and sometimes disparate insi,hts into experience ,ift ,ivin,* !o+ever, it excludes those experiences desi,nated as ?self/,ifts@, and those $est descri$ed as ?corporate ,ifts@ :Beltramini, ;;)<, as these fall outside the ti,htest remit of demonstratin, a personal relationship $et+een people* Throu,h data analysis and comparison to the ,eneric kno+led,e of ,ift ,ivin,, four attri$utes.surprise, suspense, sacrifice, and sharin, .emer,e as contri$utions to the development of the understandin, of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* 4ike the prover$ial chicken and e,,, it is hoped that ,reater understandin, +ill stimulate ,reater reco,nition in the hospitality and tourism marketplace.tan,entially, this paper seeks to hi,hli,ht the vitality and risin, importance of the experience as ,ift in affluent Western societies*

(. )iterature revie"
# ,ift, $e it tan,i$le ,ood or intan,i$le experience, mi,ht $e considered Fa ritual offering that is a sign of involvement in and connectedness to anotherG :Cheal, ;H%, p* 8'<, an expression of a social relationship $et+een t+o or more persons :Sherry, ;H3< that facilitates on/,oin, cooperation :Carmichael and >ac4eod, ;;%<* The literature revie+ has $een structured into three sections2 $asic ,ift ,ivin, concepts, core ,ift/,ivin, components, and ,ift/,ivin, process models*

(.&. *asic gift+giving concepts

Of the three forms of o$li,ation.to ,ive, to receive and to repay.associated +ith ,ift ,ivin, :>auss, ;862 Sherry, ;H3<, it is reciprocity, or the sense of inde$tedness, that drives the ,ift exchan,e system* Specifically, it is the desire to attain ?$alanced reciprocity@, the eAuili$rium $et+een donor and receiver achieved throu,h role reversal :5o$erts, ;;(2 Sahlins, ;%'<* Temporally, the sta,,ered nature of ,ivin, and receivin, su,,ests that reciprocity $et+een t+o individuals +ould $e un$alanced at any ,iven point in time, necessitatin, a lon,itudinal perspective of the donorIreceiver relationship :Jieters and 5o$$en, ;;H2 Sherry, ;H3<* 3n +ork on thank you ,ifts and male attitudes, 5ucker et al* : ;;6< refer to lon,itudinal reciprocity as ?serial@ and mutual reciprocity as ?simultaneous@2 Belk : ;%;< uses ?seAuential@ and ?simultaneous@ reciprocity, respectively* -ifts possess more than material attri$utes.to ,ive somethin, is to ,ive a part of oneself :>auss, ;86<* Thus ,ifts are hi,hly sym$olic and emotional entities, ena$lin, donors to

communicate +ithout recourse to lan,ua,e :Belk, ;;)a<* 3ndeed, accordin, to Wolfin$ar,er : ;;(<, ,ifts are valued more for their sym$olism than for the transfer of material $enefits* They are a sym$olic statement a$out the donor, the receiver, and the relationship $et+een them* The findin,s from his exploratory research :Wolfin$ar,er, ;;(< su,,est that there are four cate,ories of sym$ols associated +ith ,ifts2 namely ,ifts that are sym$olic of the self of the donor, ,ifts that are sym$olic of the donor0s perception of the receiver, ,ifts that are sym$olic of convention, and ,ifts that are expressive containin, a multitude of meanin,s*

(.(. Core gift+giving co,ponents

The four core components distilled from the literature revie+ are the ,ift, the occasion, the donor, and the recipient* 3t is the interaction $et+een these four components that creates the uniAueness of a particular ,ift exchan,e* The ,ift em$odies the donor0s kno+led,e of the recipient and the nature of the relationship $et+een them* The literature has a stron, $ias to+ards ,ifts of physical ,oods as Ftangible expressions of social relationshipsG :Sherry, ;H3, p* 8%<* 9espite later ackno+led,ement in the paper of the capacity of the intan,i$le to $e transformed into ,ifts :Sherry, ;H3<, and an earlier definition of a ,ift incorporatin, the +ords ?service@, ?time@, ?activities@ and ?ideas@ :Belk and Coon, ;;3, p* 3;6<, no research has pro$ed the perisha$le and intan,i$le experience ,ift* -ift ,ivin, theory has unfolded on the $ack$one of physical ,oods :see, for example, Curasi, ;;;2 Jarsons, '(('2 5ynnin,, ;H;2 Wa,ner et al*, ;;(<* Where research desi,ns $y default have captured experience ,ifts in the data, this has $een incidental to the thrust of the study and merited little comment :see, for example, 9ur,ee and Se,o, '(( 2 >ick and 9e>oss, ;;'2 5ucker et al*, ;;)2 Sherry et al*, ;;8<* What makes a successful ,iftK 5esearch into the perfect ,ift :Belk, ;;)$2 9ur,ee and Se,o, '(( < identifies six criteria2 namely that the ,ift should sho+ donor sacrifice, the donor0s sole +ish should $e recipient pleasure, the ,ift is a luxury, the ,ift is uniAuely appropriate to the recipient, the recipient is surprised $y the ,ift, and that the ,ift succeeds in pleasin, the recipient* The notion of sacrifice ori,inates in the ,ift made $y primitives to supernatural $ein,s, a reli,ious act +ith overtones of in,ratiation :!u$ert and >auss, ;)6<* 3ts classical usa,e has evolved into common parlance in the ,ift ,ivin, literature appertainin, to Western Society stripped of its reli,ious meanin, as ?costs@ to the donor, or donor sacrifice* 9onor sacrifice comprises three potential components2 monetary sacrifice, la$our sacrifice :or effort<, and temporal sacrifice :see, for example, Cheal, ;H%2 Wooten, '(((<* #ccordin, to Jandya and Denkatesh : ;;'<, time may $e perceived as the real ,ift $y the recipient2 the time spent in searchin, and purchasin, the ,ift sym$olisin, time invested in the maintenance of the relationship, so that Fthe gift must communicate the investment of time and effort without being explicitG :Jandya and Denkatesh, ;;', p* 83<* # later Bel,ium study found that hi,her income ,roups tend to su$stitute a shorta,e of time +ith more expensive ,oods :>ortelmans and 9amen, '(( <*

-ift ,ivin, occasions in primitive societies included marria,e, child$irth, circumcision, and funeral ceremonies :>auss, ;86<* The ,ift must mirror the occasion :Sherry, ;H3<2 Western Society dictates humorous presents for a sta, ni,ht, romantic presents for Dalentines 9ay, and so forth* -ift occasions may $e cate,orised as culturally normative and determined $y the calendar :for 5uth et al*, ;;;, ?calendrical@ events<, for example, reli,ious events and $irthdays, or as emer,ent life situations :for 5uth et al*, ;;;, ?non/ calendrical@ events<, for example employment promotions, reconciliations, or periods of ill/health :&aure and >ick, ;;3<* Sherry : ;H3< dra+s distinction $et+een formal, structured occasions accompanied $y ritual and ceremony, and emer,ent, fluid occasions $est descri$ed as informal* &or example, allo+in, for cultural differences, the +rappin, of ,ifts is a common element of ritual, +ith the choice of +rappin, material Fa chance to mark the occasion in an appropriate wayG :!endry, ;;3, p* 3<* The donor, or ,iver, is linked in a relationship to the recipient, or receiver, +ith $alanced reciprocity reAuirin, that these roles $e reversed throu,h time to sustain the exchan,e partnership* 1vidence su,,ests that ,ift choice $y the donor is predominantly $ased on the self/concept of the donor, and not on the characteristics of the recipient :Belk, ;%;2 Wolfin$ar,er, ;;(<, an interestin, contrast to the +ork on perfect ,ifts* Where the recipient is taken into account, Belk : ;%)< demonstrates that the donor0s perception of the recipient as similar or different to themselves may result in a purchased ,ift actually $ein, disliked $y the $uyer, a characteristic uncommon in ,eneric $uyer $ehaviour* !o+ever, it is not only the recipient +ho $enefits2 4an,er :'(((< posits that the act of ,ivin, makes the donor feel more effective, useful and ,enerous* -enerally, the ,ivin, of ,ifts is a positive experience and one that enhances the ,iver0s self/concept :Shapiro, ;;3<* Wooten :'(((, p* ;3< even refers to the donor0s ?,iftin, capacity@, or the Auality of possessin, the necessary attri$utes to succeed as ,ivers2 attri$utes such as creativity and kno+led,e, alon,side the productive resources of money, time and effort* Studies of donor motivation have resulted in a num$er of typolo,ies* Sherry : ;H3< descri$es a,onistic motives as principally relatin, to po+er strate,ies and calculated exchan,e focussin, on the enhancement of the donor, and altruistic motives as focussin, on deliverin, recipient pleasure* The motives summarised eAuate to maximisin, donor satisfaction versus maximisin, recipient pleasure, althou,h a continuum $et+een the t+o +ould serve to place the ma=ority of donor motives :Sherry, ;H3<* 1arly +ork $y Wolfin$ar,er : ;;(< identifies a three/fold typolo,y of altruism, norms, and self/interest, and later, a second typolo,y of en=oyment in ,ivin,, o$li,ation derived from reciprocity or from social norms, and practicalities :Wolfin$ar,er and Lale, ;;3<* -ood+in et al* : ;;(< identify t+o principal motivations, la$elled voluntary and o$li,atory, +hich they su$seAuently used to structure their #merican study of male ,iftin, $ehaviour on the occasion of Dalentine0s 9ay* #lthou,h recipients may $e surprised $y a particular ,ift or ,iftin, occasion, they may like+ise $e en,a,ed in the decision and purchasin, process* They may state cate,orically the desire for a particular ,ift2 the popularity of +eddin, lists illustrate perfectly, or they may participate in a less o$vious +ay $y ?sleuthin, out@ :9ur,ee and Se,o, '(( , p* )H< throu,h droppin, hints and casual +indo+ shoppin, +ith potential donors* 3n his +ork

on ,iftin, anxiety, Wooten :'(((< outlines recipient affluence as one anxiety/raisin, factor for the donor2 the Auestion of +hat to $uy the person +ho appears to have everythin,* 3n modern Western societies, this is a common occurrence in ,ift ,ivin, situations*

(.-. .ift giving process ,o#els

The ,ift ,ivin, process model +ith the +idest acceptance +ithin the literature is that of Sherry : ;H3<, and it has $een used to structure the contri$ution of a num$er of researchers :see, for example, Curasi, ;;;2 -ood+in et al*, ;;(2 Jarsons, '(('2 5uth et al*, ;;;2 Wa,ner et al*, ;;(2 Wolfin$ar,er and Lale, ;;3<* 5ooted in an earlier model :Banks, ;%;<, and +ith linea,e to the contri$ution of >auss : ;86<, the Sherry model takes the form of a flo+ dia,ram +ith t+o ?columns@ la$elled donor and recipient +hich move throu,h three principal sta,es of ?,estation@, ?prestation@ and ?reformulation@* The ?,estation@ sta,e incorporates donor and recipient $ehaviours precedin, ,ift exchan,e, and eAuates to the focus of most $uyer $ehaviour models in the marketin, discipline :Wa,ner et al*, ;;(<* !o+ever, the Sherry model offers less ,uidance and detail* The ?prestation@ sta,e is the actual ,ift exchan,e, involvin, ritual and ceremony, ,ift/+rappin,, and donorIrecipient interaction* The final sta,e of ?reformulation@ examines any reali,nment of the relationship $et+een donor and recipient :stren,then, affirm, attenuate, or sever< and considers the fate of the ,ift :consumption, display, stora,e, exchan,e, or re=ection<*

-. /esearch #esign
!o$son0s :'((3< plea for more Aualitative, theory/$uildin, research in tourism meets one ans+er in this situation of an a$sence of experience ,ift ,ivin, research* The aim of this exploratory research +as to shape initial understandin, of the $ehaviour associated +ith the ,ivin, and receivin, of experiences, as opposed to physical ,oods* The research +as a retrospective study of real experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour, the principal method $ein, in/depth intervie+s +ith informants recallin, actual events* To commence the primary research, telephone intervie+s +ere conducted +ith the >arketin, 9irectors of four of the lar,est experience companies in the U", as identified $y >intel :'(( <* The o$=ective +as to develop a feel for the macro/patterns of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour as understood $y ma=or commercial players, to provide some trian,ulation of data, and to set an industry context for the ensuin, research* #s such, these intervie+s interro,ated the formal, commercial sector, and not the informal sector of the consumer as competitor* # series of in/depth intervie+s +ere conducted +ith informants +ho had personal experience of ,ivin, andMor receivin, of ,ifts that +ere experiences over the precedin, ' years* Thus the evidence represented $oth donor and recipient vie+points, aidin, a $alanced perspective of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* The researcher re=ected the use of student informants, an approach used in a num$er of ,ift ,ivin, studies :see, for

example, Belk and Coon, ;;32 9eDere et al*, ;H32 -ood+in et al*, ;;(2 Otnes et al*, ;;62 Jieters and 5o$$en, ;;H2 5ucker et al*, ;;62 5ynnin,, ;H;2 Wolfin$ar,er and Lale, ;;32 Wooten, '(((< as introducin, unnecessary $ias in a,e, lifestyle and maturity* # more rounded reflection of the experience ,ift ,ivin, pu$lic +as sou,ht* To this end, a purposive sample of informants +ere recruited throu,h an informant/controlled card system, +here$y pre/printed postcards reAuestin, the informant0s preferred contact details and a return address +ere distri$uted throu,h the researcher0s social net+ork2 upon receipt, a mutually convenient intervie+ +as arran,ed* The structure of the intervie+ ,uide +as loosely informed $y the models :Banks, ;%;2 Sherry, ;H3<, althou,h this +as not apparent to the informant* The intervie+s ran as fluid one/sided conversations, +ith the ?,rand tour@ Auestion :5uth et al*, ;;;, p* 3H%< askin, the informant to recall a specific incident of experience ,ivin, or receivin, over the previous t+o years* 1ach incident then slipped alon, the approximate frame+ork of the ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour models :Banks, ;%;2 Sherry, ;H3< as appropriate to the nature of the incident* 3ntervie+s concluded +ith prompts for ne,ative events that +ould provide contrastin, evidence derived from a different line of Auestionin,* #ll intervie+s +ere tape recorded for accurate transcription and capture of the informant0s exact voca$ulary and phrasin,* 3n addition, pro/forma sheets completed $y informants allo+ed cate,orical data and ,eneral patterns of ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour to contri$ute to the data analysis* Some informants spontaneously follo+ed up intervie+s +ith e/mails, stressin, additional points stimulated $y the intervie+ process* The in/depth intervie+s +ere transcri$ed and each experience ,ift +as coded, identifyin, the informant concerned as donor or recipient* The data +as analysed usin, a modified constant comparison method, +ith initial themes dra+n from ,ift ,ivin, theory :for example, ?surprise@<, and su$seAuent la$els emer,in, from data patterns :?accomplice@< or from informant voca$ulary :?+orka$le surprise@<* The resultin, common storyline of the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour +as re/checked a,ainst the ne,ative events, +ritten up as individual descriptions, and then su$mitted for revie+ to a researcher for readin, a,ainst the ori,inal intervie+ transcripts* The feed$ack allo+ed the researcher to further refine the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin,* # total of ten in/depth intervie+s +ere conducted yieldin, rich information on 8' experience ,ift cases* None of the informants +ere previously kno+n to the intervie+er and represented different a,e ,roups, occupations, and ,ender* 3nformants varied from novice to expert, +ith reported experience ,ift incidents ran,in, from one to * Ta$le summarises the experience ,ifts recounted $y informants* There +ere three main cate,ories of experience ,ifts.experience company ,ifts, experiences $ou,ht from a sin,le $usiness or $rand, and experiences created $y the donor from any num$er of different service components* The ma=ority of experience ,ifts +ere $et+een individuals, $ut Ta$le ' presents the overall exchan,e pattern* The experience ,ifts covered a ran,e of different formal and informal occasions as illustrated in Ta$le 3, +ith $irthdays and Christmas dominatin,2 ?decade@ $irthdays :thirtieths, fortieths and so on< also feature, perhaps $ecause Western societies mark them as particularly memora$le $irthday occasions*
Ta$le *

Summary of experience ,ifts in data set .iven b! infor,ant !elicopter fli,ht Dalentine dinner O dance 4e TouAuet trip 9ay at health farm Sno+$oardin, lesson Theatre tickets 4ondon experience packa,e 4ondon experience packa,e Stay at 4e >anoir Silverstone racin, daya &oot$all season ticket Thames $oat trip !ot air $alloon fli,hta Spa day Spa day Cinema tickets Jarty in an hotel Sno+$oardin, lesson Pules !olland concert &estival at Cheltenham Blenheim Jalace picnic /eceive# b! infor,ant 4ondon experience packa,e 9isneyland Jaris trip -lider lesson !alf/day off road drivin,a Wood turnin, course &acial >assa,eMfoot pedicure &lyin, lesson 9ay at Champneys, Trin, Thames $oat trip Theatre and restaurant Denice trip Jra,ue and Dienna trip Campin, $arn trip 4ondon experience packa,e "ayakin, and BOB trip !ot air $alloon fli,hta 4ondon theatre White +ater raftin,a -o kartin,a 0utual given1receive# b! infor,ant -olf lessons L!# Brecon Beacon.outdoor activity ?lucky dip@ Sno+$oardin, lessons

.iven b! infor,ant &ormula One rally drivin,a Sin,le seater racin,a !alf/day tank drivin,a Ne+ Lork +eekend 9ay at The Sanctuary Total ')
a

/eceive# b! infor,ant

0utual given1receive# b! infor,ant

Total '(

Total 3

9enotes experience company product*

Ta$le '* Overvie+ of the experience ,ift exchan,e pattern 2onors /ecipients 'n#ivi#ual 3ndividual JairsMcouples -roup 36 :36< 3 3 3airs1couples 8 ' :2< .roup

&rame+ork adapted from Schiffman and "anuk :'(((, p* 68H<*

Ta$le 3* 1xperience ,ift occasion %ccasion Birthday Birthday.decades Christmas ) 6 : )< 4xperiences )

%ccasion Dalentines day Thank you Weddin, anniversary Pust $ecause 5etirement 3mpulse ChristmasQthank you Total

4xperiences 3 :6< 3 ' '

8'

5. Fin#ings$ the Four S's of experience gift giving behaviour

The U" experience industry is en=oyin, market ,ro+th, principally driven $y a ?do+n/ a,in,@ in the expandin, older population, a spread in the concept of +ell$ein,, a desire for personal challen,e, and chan,es in household patterns.particularly the division of families :5ed 4etter 9ay 3ntervie+<* The research revealed four attri$utes of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour.surprise, suspense, sacrifice, and sharin,*

5.&. Surprise
3f surprise is a neutral emotion layered +ith a second emotion that ,rants positive or ne,ative direction :Danhamme, '(((<, then surprise in ,ift ,ivin, situations seeks the positive* &rom the outset, many experience ,ifts are planned $y donors as surprises for recipients2 the unexpected is perceived as a desira$le attri$ute to $e inte,rated into the ,ivin, process7 3 think the element of surprise is important R3t0s part of the pleasure of ,ivin, ,ifts.the surprise :&emale, 6)I88<* 1xperience ,ifts offer ,reater flexi$ility than physical ,oods for donors seekin, to produce a successful surprise present* The expectations that recipients attach to an experience ,ift may $e less demandin, than for a physical ,ood7 3f 3 +anted a ,ad,et of some sort, 3 +ould $e pretty firmly fixed in my mind exactly +hat ,ad,et 3 +anted* 3f 3 fancied a di,ital camera, it +ould $e Auite tricky for Wendy +ithout

her sayin, ?#nd exactly +hich model do you +antK@ To surprise me +ith a di,ital camera .she +ould ,et the +ron, camera and she kno+s she +ould ,et the +ron, camera, so she doesn@t* So 3 think that tends to lead her to+ards experience ,ifts :>ale, 6)I88<* #lthou,h recipients express ,enuine surprise at these planned surprise experience ,ifts :see Ta$le 6<, recipients are not as divorced from the plannin, process as mi,ht $e expected* The recipient may issue a direct challen,e to surprise, devise a +ish list, drop unintentional hints, ans+er donor Auestions, or participate in a discussion +ith the donor* The si,nificance lies in recipient failure to make connections $et+een any process involvement and the resultin, experience ,ift, partially explained $y donor skill durin, ?sleuthin, out@ :9ur,ee and Se,o, '(( , p* )H<*
Ta$le 6* 1xamples of recipient expression of surprise upon receipt of experience ,ift As recounte# b! infor,ant F3t +as a complete surpriseR +ho +ould have thou,ht of doin, thatK O$viously 3 didn@t FTotal surpriseG FThey +ere $oth stunned 3 think* Couldn@t Auite take it in at firstG FTotally unexpectedG F!e +as really shocked and surprisedG F3 think it +as Auite an a,reea$le surpriseG F#ll a $i, surpriseG Fhe +as oh no ,od, ha haG Fit +as a mouth drop* !e +ent ?+o+@, ?fantastic@G 4xperience gift 4ondon experience packa,e &lyin, lesson Stay at 4e >anoir 9ay at Champneys, Trin, &oot$all season ticket !ot air $alloon fli,ht Campin, $arn trip Sno+$oardin, lesson &ormula One rally drivin, 'nfor,ant &emale, 6)I88, recipient &emale, ')I38, recipient &emale, ')I38, donor &emale, 6)I88, recipient &emale, 6)I88, donor >ale, 8)I)8, donor &emale, ')I38, recipient &emale, ')I38, donor &emale, ')I38, donor

#lon,side ,ift protection, donor expression, and sym$olisin, the occasion :!endry, ;;3<, +rappin, the experience ,ift for exchan,e can enhance the attri$ute of surprise* # tan,i$le representation is pre/reAuisite2 special envelopes and cards are popular choices, althou,h these surro,ates offer thin dis,uises, havin, immediate associations +ith

vouchers or money* >ore deli$erate deception involves +rappin, a $ox, a physical item lon, associated +ith tan,i$le presents and thus a useful deflection until the ,ift is revealed7 3f you@ve ,ot somethin, like a $ox in front of you, you are, +ell, ?+hat0s thatK@ and you +ouldn@t automatically think ?oh that0s R@, unless it0s an envelope, you +ouldn@t think a$out a voucher for somethin,* 3 think $ecause he ,ot somethin, in a $ox, he0s pro$a$ly thinkin, ?No+ that0s pro$a$ly too $i, for a computer ,ame, 3 +onder +hat that could $eK@ :&emale, ')I38, donor.Sin,le seater racin,<* The intention is to +aylay the recipient into anticipation of a physical ,ood, thus increasin, the attri$ute of surprise at the moment of revelation* -reater creativity and individualisation of ,ift presentation is also possi$le2 here, the informant chose a physical ,ood associated +ith the experience ,ift to $oth +rap and dis,uise.the +rappin, paper provided the final layer of the ,ift presentation7 3 happened to find some socks in Tesco +ith &ootynut.the little cartoon.on the side* So 3 +rapped this little season ticket holder inside the socks so he thou,ht he@d =ust ,ot a pair of socks* Lou kno+, silly socks for Christmas* So there +as a $it more to it :&emale, 6)I88, donor.&oot$all season ticket<* This type of creative +rappin, strate,y extends the moment of surprise and converts it from +rapped ,ift to physical ,ood and finally to experience, a mini/chain of deception* Usa,e of the experience ,ift sho+s a further characteristic, that of the unplanned surprise* #s for all experiences, production cannot $e separated from consumption, and this lack of control ena$les the uniAue event not anticipated $y the donor, +ith the potential of makin, the experience particularly memora$le7 We $ou,ht all these $alloons and $anners sayin, ?!appy H(th Birthday@ R it +as a really hot day and all these other people out on their $oats sa+ it +as her $irthday and at the first lock at #$in,don >arina ,oin, off to+ards Oxford, there +as a ,roup of youn, lads on another $oat in front of us and they said ?>ay +e enAuire as to +hose $irthday it isK@ 4ookin, at me and my sister/in/la+, ha ha* We said ?Dalerie@ and so they ,ot every$ody in the lock, and there +ere a$out 6 or 8 $oats, to sin, happy $irthday to her* So that kind of made her day :&emale, 6)I88, donor.Thames $oat trip<* # second vi,nette also descri$es the contri$ution that ?random@ participants can make to a surprise ,ift as it unfolds durin, usa,e it ended up $ein, a +hole day.+e +ent to see >onsters 3nc at the cinema and $umped into some friends from +hen +e +ere really youn,.randomly.one of his $est friends and mine.in 4eicester SAuare, so that +as really cool and then +ent for dinner and stuff :&emale, ')I38, recipient.4ondon experience packa,e<*

Contrastin, comparison a,ainst ne,ative incidents of surprise experience ,ifts exposes the successful experience ,ift as # surprise that0s +orka$le* Les, a surprise that0s +orka$le :&emale, 3)I68<* Ta$le 8 exhi$its the components of the ?+orka$le surprise@* Understandin, of recipient lifestyle reAuires an appreciation of +hat is ?doable and convenient@ :&emale, 3)I68< +ithin the recipient0s $oundaries of discretionary time, income and existin, commitments* The traditional 9ecision >akin, Unit :9>U< needs extendin, to include the accomplice, someone +ho cooperates +ith the donor in maintainin, secrecy +hilst $ein, in a position to control the intended recipient0s $ehaviour durin, the plannin, and purchase process* The duties of accomplice ?>ichael@ are a$ly portrayed in the follo+in, vi,nette7 3 immediately ,ot on the phone +hen 3 kne+ she +as out to her hus$and S>ichaelT and said ?She0s very keen on this trip to Ne+ Lork for a +eekend, please let me $uy it for her $irthday@* #nd he said ?Les, she0s ,ot a $ee in her $onnet a$out it, so 3 think, yes, it +ould $e a ,ood ,ift@* #nd 3 said ?But +e need to keep it a surprise, can you put her offK@ or somethin, like that, $ecause +hat 3 didn@t +ant her to do +as $ook it herself or somethin, like that* So that +orked Auite +ell* !e dampened do+n the expectations and the idea for a $it and 3 mean+hile $ooked it on the +e$ R >ichael kne+ all the details, so he +as $ookin, ferries in time to fit in +ith this trip :&emale, 3)I68, donor.Ne+ Lork +eekend<*
Ta$le 8* Components of the ?+orka$le surprise@ Co,ponents of the "orkable surprise Understandin, of recipient lifestyle 5ecruitment of accomplice to 9>U #ttention to attri$ute of ?sharin,@ Jlannin, and or,anisin, in advance

The recruited accomplice should $e the person closest to the recipient, the ?nearest and dearest@ :&emale, 3)I68< as $ein, the $est placed to ,uide their everyday movements and activities, and to keepin, the donor informed* The remainin, t+o components of ?+orka$le surprises@, plannin, and or,anisin, in advance and attention to the attri$ute of sharin,, are discussed under sacrifice and sharin,, respectively*

5.(. Suspense

The intan,i$ility and insepara$ility of the experience ,ift ena$les the donor to $uild in suspense alon,side surprise* The ,ift may $e presented, $ut not revealed2 the recipient is told to ,et ?ready@ to ,o some+here.a ?follow-me@ tactic :&emale, ')I38, donor. 4ondon experience packa,e<, and the recipient left to ,uess* The t+o principal components of suspense are the ?+hat@ and the ?+here@, and reflect the typical experience as involvin, an activity and a =ourney to the location of that activity* &i,* sho+s the methods of creatin, suspense favoured $y donors* >aintainin, suspense durin, the =ourney to the location may help $ind the travel element more ti,htly into the total experience, facilitatin, a sense of discovery, anticipation and excitement lar,ely a$sent from modern leisure travel, and promptin, an alert or mindful state :4an,er, ;H;< in the recipient* &or example, recipients may search for ?clues@ in the clothes of the donor, any accompanyin, items, or in the directions* The a$ility to hide the identity of the destination is a distinctive feature of experience ,ifts compared to ,eneric leisure tourism2 only children may not comprehend the leisure destination durin, the =ourney, and perhaps it is this ali,nment +ith the childhood ?#re +e there yetK@ syndrome that supports successful suspense*
: (H"< &i,* * >ethods for creation of suspense*

To enhance suspense, donors may use a decoy or teaser strate,y* This involves the donor +eavin, a distractin, story around the location andMor activity throu,h desi,nin, in the active participation of the recipient* &or example, recipients may $e ,iven lists of thin,s to $rin,.many of these items +ill $e decoys for the actual experience and stimulate fanciful ideas :see Ta$le )<*
Ta$le )* 1xamples of decoy or teaser strate,y 'te,s for recipient to bring, as re6ueste# b! #onor Tent, passport, snorkel

/ecipient thoughts Campin,K 3nternationalK Snorklin,K FOh my ,odU We@re ,oin, to ,o $o, snorklin, in WalesUG

Actual experience Pules !olland concert at -laston$ury :&emale, ')I38, donor< "ayakin, and BOB trip :&emale, ')I38, recipient< Campin, $arn trip :&emale, ')I38, recipient<

F5idiculous examplesG

Jassport, international travel insurance, Fa$out four different tent, sleepin, $a,, +alkin, $oots, snorkel, scenariosG ketchup

5.-. Sacrifice
1xperience ,ifts, particularly from those the informal sector, are perceived $y donors and recipients as useful vehicles for demonstratin, donor sacrifice in ,ift exchan,e* #lthou,h the monetary sacrifice may $e ,reater than for physical ,oods, due to the tendency to share the experience, it is the superior Aualities of the sacrifice of la$our and time that make experience ,ifts so appealin,* With donor created experiences, time and effort can $e spent ensurin, the ,ift is uniAuely tailored to the recipient2 there +as evidence of stron,er altruistic motivations :Sherry, ;H3< than for experience company ,ifts* #lthou,h individual components of the experience reAuire decision and purchase, alon,side this traditional $ehaviour process is the necessity for plannin, and or,anisin,* Jlannin, and or,anisin, may $e undertaken $y an individual donor or $y a team of donors, headed up $y a ?pro ect manager@ :&emale, ')I38<, and include such tasks as co/ ordinatin, activity details, seAuencin, and timin,, ne,otiation and dele,ation, or,anisin, any co/participants, and travel details* The effort expended and the skills reAuired are clearly visi$le to the recipient in the individuality of the resultant ,ift* The fact that the experience is uniAuely fitted to the recipient displays the thou,ht and care invested $y the donor, and is appreciated accordin,ly $y recipients* The process of plannin, and or,anisin, reAuires time to $e spent in advance of ,ift exchan,e* 3n addition, time may also $e spent durin, ,ift usa,e, +ith the donor sharin, the experience +ith the recipient* Thus, experience ,ifts have tremendous potential for demonstratin, donor sacrifice in terms of time and la$our* 3n the formal sector, the ,ifts produced $y the experience companies for ease of purchase have a more limited scope for sho+in, donor sacrifice* The very nature of the pre/ prepared product cuts out much of the plannin, and or,anisin, and time spent in preparation, leavin, only the possi$ility of shared time durin, the experience and financial expenditure :a ?money ticket@2 male, 6)I88< in tact* Stron,er vie+s hi,hli,ht the inherent desi,n in experience company products that ena$les donor effort to $e off/ loaded onto the recipient7 #ny$ody can ,o into W! Smiths and say ?Oh, 3@ll have that one@, do you kno+ +hat 3 meanK #nd then they do actually have to or,anise it themselves any+ay, as far as 3 kno+* 3 had a friend0s parents $uy him a drivin, experience.3 think it +as off/roadin, or somethin,.it +as W! Smiths and +as a pack.and then he had to rin, up and ,et all the course or,anised and everythin, and its like, +ell, you@ve +alked into W! Smiths and paid fifty Auid, and haven@t thou,ht a$out it particularly at all* 3t is the thou,ht that counts, isn@t itK :&emale, ')I38<* 1xamination of ne,ative incidents emphasised that all experiences as insepara$le ,ifts entail recipient sacrifice, at a minimum, the time reAuired to consume the experience* Costs to the recipients of poorly suited experience ,ifts include or,anisation ?hassle@ :&emale, 3)I68<, payin, for sharers unanticipated $y donor, travel expenses, food and incidental costs, ,eneral disruption, and cancellation of other commitments* 3ndeed, the

additional costs mi,ht render the un+anted experience ,ift as ,reater lia$ility than the un+anted physical ,ood7 3 +onder if it +ould seem +orse than may$e ,ettin, a present Sphysical ,oodT that you don@t particularly like if you are ,iven an experience that you don@t particularly +ant* Lou then have to ,o out of your +ay to fulfil it, and you =ust can@t put it in a $ottom dra+er and for,et a$out it :&emale, 3)I68<* 3n plannin, experience ,ifts, donors need to consider the $alance $et+een donor and recipient sacrifice2 one proposition is that more successful experience ,ifts demonstrate ,reater donor than recipient sacrifice, and, conversely, that less successful experience ,ifts demonstrate ,reater recipient than donor sacrifice*

5.5. Sharing
Sharin, is a po+erful attri$ute of experience ,iftin, $ehaviour* 3t is stron, enou,h to prevent an experience $ein, ,iven as a ,ift7 3 +as thinkin, of ,ettin, for her a +eekend in a health farm.a Champneys or somethin, else like that.for a $irthday.=ust to $e pampered and relaxed and all the rest of it.and she said ?Lou@d $e $ored stiff there@ and 3 said ?Well, 3 +asn@t thinkin, of ,oin,@ and she said ?Oh no, 3 +ouldn@t +ant to ,o if +e didn@t ,o to,ether@* #nd that0s one 3 +ould have ,ot +ron, $ecause 3 +ould have $ou,ht a health farm +eekend for her and not for myself, $ut she +ould not have en=oyed it* Or she +ould rather +e had ,one to,ether :>ale, 6)I88<* and, conversely, may $e stipulated $y donors as the most important feature of any ,ift7 3 can@t actually think of any physical item +e could actually ,et for my dad that +ould $e meanin,ful enou,h to commemorate his )(th $irthday* Whenever +e talk to him a$out it, there0s nothin, he +ants.the only thin, he kept sayin, over and over a,ain +as ?3 =ust +ant us all to $e to,ether@ :&emale, ')I38, donor.4ondon experience packa,e<* The additional monetary expense to the donor :or recipient< of sharin, has already $een noted :see 6*3 ?!acrifice@<2 here, 3 allude to the act of sharin, the experience and to the ena$lin, resource of time* Sharin, may $e used to expand horiBons2 ?learning together@, ?experiencSin,T things together.especially new things@, ?makSin,T time with them to do it.they actually might find something they love doing@, or ?seeSin,T their progress@* #lternatively, sharin, may $e used to nurture relationships2 ?the best bit" everybody being together@, ?about family solidarity@, ?spendSin,T #uality time together@, ?catching up with friends@, or ?a nice bridge building thing@* # typolo,y of sharin, for experience ,ifts is exhi$ited in Ta$le %* Jlannin, and or,anisin, may $e used to $rin, role players in the 9>U closer to,ether, $ut the $ulk of the typolo,y is actual experience usa,e*
Ta$le %* Typolo,y of sharin, for experience ,ifts

T!pe of sharing Jlannin, and or,anisin,7 9onor as or,aniser 1xperience usa,e7 9onor as participant

4xa,ples Fthe plannin, of the $irthday +eekend is ,ivin, the people or,anisin, it a lot of fun and en=oyment, =ust talkin, a$out it and plannin, it and anticipatin, +hat his reactions are ,oin, to $e, +hich is ,reat* 3t0s so much nicer than $uyin, him a physical o$=ect* So it0s $rin,in, us all to,ether reallyG :&emale, ')I38, donor.4ondon experience packa,e< Fhe o$viously ,ot to ,o to the theatre as +ell +ith me.he ,ot part of the fun as +ellR that mi,ht $e a $it of a cheat ,ettin, half the present as +ellG :&emale, 6)I88, recipient .4ondon experience packa,e< FWe do it to,ether* We +anted to learn to,ether.+e didn@t particularly +ant to teach each other ?cos that +ay leads to fisticuffs 3 think R +e don@t have any pro$lem +ith $ein, on the lesson to,etherG:>ale, 6)I88, donor O recipient.-olf lessons< F3@m havin, a sno+$oardin, lesson as +ell, +hich is rather a selfish present to ,iveG:&emale, 3)I68, donor.Sno+$oardin, lesson<

1xperience usa,e7 9onor as spectator

F+e@re ,oin, to take him to Northampton and ,o and see him in action* Lou ,et spectator tickets that come +ith it R 3@ve $een alon, to all the racin, ones as a spectatorG:&emale, ')I38, donor.&ormula One rally drivin,< Fshe had to sit there in the cold clu$house +atchin, us drive round a muddy field for three hours* She +as on her o+n at that pointG :>ale, 6)I88, recipient.!alf/day off road drivin,< FLou@re not stuck out on your o+n, ?cos 3 +ent as a spectator R all the spectators +ere chattin, and meetin, up to,ether.so you +eren@t left outG :&emale, ')I38, donor. Sin,le seater racin,<

1xperience usa,e7 Si,nificant other

F3 did it $ecause at that time her dau,hter +as livin, and +orkin, in 4ondon and she +ould ,o and visit her in 4ondon and so it +as a nice trip they could do to,etherG :&emale, 3)I68, donor.9ay at The Sanctuary< Fyoun, teena,ers like to do this kind of thin, +ith a mate rather than =ust on their o+nG :&emale, 3)I68.-o kartin,< F3 think she +ill ,o +ith a friend* These are the kinds of thin,s you do to,ether, aren@t theyKG :&emale, 6)I88, donor.Spa day<

1xperience usa,e7 Co/ consumers

F3 +as lucky enou,h not to have $een there on my o+n $ecause there +as another +oman there +ho came in =ust after 3 arrived and +as there $y herself, so +e arran,ed to have lunch to,etherG :&emale, 6)I88, recipient.Spa day< FJeople ,et out the car and they =ust ,o up to +hoever0s there or +hoever is next and say ?#+++, +hat did you think a$out that cornerK@Rthe $anter that +as ,oin, on +ith the other drivers, 3 think that made it en=oya$le for all* Lou kno+, they@d $e chivvyin, each other alon,* There +as no $oy racer +ho thou,ht he could do $etter than any$ody else.no $i, characters, and 3 also think they +ere a similarish a,eG :&emale, ')I38, donor.Sin,le seater racin,<

There are four different types of sharin, possi$ility durin, experience usa,e7 donor as participant, donor as spectator, si,nificant other, and co/consumers* 3n the first, the donor elects to =oin fully in the experience alon,side the recipient, and is as immersed in the activity as the recipient* 3n some cases, such complete involvement may si,nal ?a,onistic@ motives :Sherry, ;H3< on the side of the donor* 3n the second, the donor acts as spectator to the main activity, althou,h they +ill have participated in other elements, such as the =ourney or additional activities* The existence and $ehaviour of fello+ spectators may help inte,rate the donor into the overall experience* 3n the third, the experience ,ift may $e desi,ned $y the donor for sharin, +ith a si,nificant other or others.family or close friends* -eo,raphical separation, and differences in lifesta,e or lifestyle $et+een donor and recipient may $e contri$utory factors to this type of sharin,2 the si,nificant other acts as a surro,ate for the donor* Where donors dislike the activity undertaken, altruistic motives :Sherry, ;H3< may dominate* 3n the fourth, the experience is shared +ith co/ consumers previously unkno+n to the recipient, for the recipient ventures out alone* The success or other+ise of the recipient0s experience may $e made or marred $y the inter/ compati$ility of these co/users, yet the donor is una$le to intervene* This is ar,ua$ly the most risky type of sharin,, and may induce anxiety on the part of the recipient* #t the extreme, forcin, a recipient to participate +ithout the donor or person of their choice, may result in the ,ift $ein, re=ected and un/used* The only option for the un+illin, recipient is to shoulder the costs of a sharer, thus increasin, the $urden of recipient sacrifice7 But for us, it +as a disaster in that it turned out to $e a White +ater raftin, experience for one person and +e@re a family of five.3@ve ,ot three sons.3 don@t think they realised and +e +ouldn@t have minded payin,, $ut if you are ,oin, to ,o White +ater raftin, and you@ve ,ot three sons, you kind of all ,o and do it.+ell, for,et it, it =ust didn@t +ork out :&emale, 3)I68, recipient.White +ater raftin,<*

7. 2iscussion
The attri$utes of surprise, sacrifice, suspense and sharin, emer,e from the exploratory research as the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* Successful ,ifts, +hether physical ,oods or experiences, are likely to include the element of surprise and demonstrate donor sacrifice :Belk, ;;)$2 9ur,ee and Se,o, '(( 2 Jandya and Denkatesh, ;;'<* 1xperience ,ifts may offer the donor ,reater scope $oth for producin, a surprise and for displayin, sacrifice* The evidence su,,ests that recipients are less likely to self/,ift an experience than a physical ,ood, and that experiences offer ,enerous scope for the donor to exploit their ,iftin, capacity ,ivin, experiences ,ives more scope to the ima,ination of the ,iver as +ell, doesn@t itK Rit is more personal* 3t sho+s a+areness and a sensitivity to a person0s interests and activities and the thin,s that make them individual :&emale, 6)I88<* Of the ne+ attri$utes of suspense and sharin,, it is the latter that is the most potent* # form of sacrifice, the a$ility to share $ecomes an extension of Jandya and Denkatesh0s : ;;'< ,ift of time, and is an uneAuivocal investment in a social relationship*

3n our affluent Western society, time $ecomes a most precious resource* We are characterised as cash rich, $ut time poor, endlessly multi/taskin, in a lon, hours +orkin, culture* 3n such a society, it is plausi$le that the experience +ill $ecome increasin,ly attractive as a ,ift, for its inherent a$ility to demonstrate donor sacrifice.not of money, $ut of time* 3n our fast movin, culture, +e are less accustomed to $ein, a$le to ?find@ or ?take@ time, or to people ?,ivin, us@ time, or to en=oyin, ?Auality@ time.for us, ?time flies@* Therefore, a ,ift that demonstrates that a donor has used precious discretionary time is likely to strike an emotional chord +ith the recipient* O$servation of a societal shift a+ay from the consumption culture of the late '(th century su,,ests a ,entle revolution in +hich individuals increasin,ly redress their life/$alance to+ards personal development, relationships and passions, rather than income, status and o+nership :Bayliss, '((6, p* (<* Such shift in emphasis a+ay from the status afforded $y material possession and to+ards the development of the individual is lent support $y Shankar and &itchetts@ :'(('< assertion of the inferiority of ?havin,@ to ?$ein,@ as a system in deliverin, consumer contentment* #lthou,h pertainin, to purchases as opposed to ,ifts, psycholo,ists Dan Boven and -ilovich :'((3< posit that experiential purchases rather than material purchases are more likely to make an individual happy* 3n explanation, they ar,ue that experiences are more open to positive reinterpretation, are more central to a person0s identity, and possess ,reater social value in that they are adept at fosterin, stron, social relationships* Transferrin, this characteristic of inspirin, happiness from purchase to ,ift makes experiences an attractive option for donors* 4ife is composed of experiences, less of physical o$=ects* 3n the phraseolo,y of one informant7 Lou don@t accumulate experiences.3 mean, you accumulate in another +ay, of happy memories, +hich is very nice.$ut they don@t ,ather dust, they don@t $ecome +hite elephants and a lia$ility :&emale, 6)I88<*

8. Conclusion
1xperiences are $ou,ht as ,ifts, and an entire experience industry has developed around this phenomenon* Outside of the commercial experience sector, it is likely that a num$er of hospitality, leisure and tourism $usinesses +ould $enefit from a stron,er emphasis on the potential of their products as ,ifts* The informal market sector, +here donors act as competitors to the experience companies and amal,amate different experience components to home/craft a hi,hly individual ,ift, is a challen,in, proposition for $oth the commercial experience industry and the hospitality, leisure and tourism $usinesses alike* This paper sou,ht to deliver a $etter understandin, of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour, there$y encoura,in, a hi,her profile for the phenomenon +ithin the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry*

Critical assessment of the multi/faceted ,ift ,ivin, literature sho+ed an omission of experiences2 there +as an unackno+led,ed $ias to+ards theory $ased on physical ,oods* To redress the $alance, the experience ,ift +as made the explicit focus of study* The attri$utes of the &our S0s of experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour.surprise, suspense, sacrifice and sharin,.emer,e as contri$utions to the $ody of kno+led,e* These &our S0s, a direct reference to the le,endary ?S0s@ of mass tourism, offer specific plausi$le insi,hts into experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* Surprise and sacrifice are +ell documented in the literature2 the si,nificance for experiences rests +ith the +ays in +hich they transfi,ure and in the opportunities that they afford* The notions of recipient sacrifice and of plannin, and or,anisation alon,side the purchase process are key concepts* Sharin, emer,es as an important attri$ute, a po+erful +ay for the modern donor to demonstrate sacrifice and care in sectors of society +here the value of financial sacrifice has $een eroded throu,h affluence* #s an exploratory study, the research sou,ht to identify initial ideas and concepts for experience ,ift ,ivin, $ehaviour* The ten intervie+s for this experience research yielded rich data on 8' experience ,iftin, incidents, for Fgiving gifts is something that is #uite nice to talk aboutG :&emale, 6)I88<* The U" context of the research is a reflection of the researcher0s location, as is the micro/location of Oxford* #ll informants had a connection to Oxford, +hether for ha$itation, +ork, or leisure* #r,ua$ly, the U" experience market is the furthest developed in the +orld :5ed 4etter 9ay 3ntervie+<, makin, the U" a =ustifia$le post hoc selection choice2 the Oxford micro/location is explained only $y research practicalities* There are repercussions for the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry arisin, from this research* Those $usinesses and or,anisations hitherto una+are of the experience ,ift ,ivin, market need to desi,n systems that capture and analyse $ehaviour patterns and profiles of donors and recipients, so that the phenomenon is no lon,er su$mer,ed in ,eneral $uyer $ehaviour data and market research* Collation of this data at industry/+ide level, +hether $y ,overnment or trade association, +ould develop the picture $eyond the current :and partial< portrayal of experience ,ifts offered $y the commercial experience sector* Better understandin, and sharper se,mentation of the experience ,ift 9>U +ould ena$le individual products to $e modified or developed to meet the needs of donors, recipients, and sharers accordin,ly2 the same applies for communication and other marketin, decisions* Strate,ic decisions as to the relative importance of identified ,ift ,ivin, se,ments could lead to ad=ustments in $rand ima,e and positionin, over the medium to lon,er term* &urthermore, kno+led,e a$out the components in the choice sets of donors developin, their o+n experience ,ifts +ould allo+ companies to develop colla$orative strate,ies +ith complementary players, thus stren,thenin, access to the illusive informal market sector* The ,ivin,, receivin, and reciprocation of ,ifts has a linea,e of theory threadin, $ack throu,h the last century* 1xperience ,ifts are very much a feature of our early ' st century society, and +e need to ackno+led,e and understand the $ehaviour that surrounds them*

/eferences
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Tel*7 Q66 H)8 6H8%))2 fax7 Q66 H)8 6H8H3(*

The historical si,nificance of the four S0s frame+ork +ill not $e lost to those in the hospitality and tourism industry as a traditional description of mass tourism as ?sun, sand, sea and sex@*

International Journal of Hospitality Management Volume 26, Issue 1 , March 2007, Pages 98-116

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