Motivations for Tourism Shopping in Department Stores: An Exploratory Research about Tourists’ Profiles Visiting El Corte Inglés Gaia

Shopping forms a part of tourism activity. It can be the main motivation to travel (shopping tourism), or a parallel tourist action (tourism shopping). Existing literature explores the attributes of products that tourists look for, as souvenirs. However, department stores are increasingly prominent on tour itineraries and promoted by tour guides, exploring the trend of purchasing luxury goods in tourism experience. This study identifies the profile and motivations of tourists to shop in department stores, whose main products refer to global luxury brands and do not show the authenticity of the destination.

The research was developed in the department store El Corte Inglés Gaia, the only department store in the Porto destination. A survey was applied in the store during four days to 210 tourists who contacted the tourism office of the store. The results show that purchasing is not the main motivation for travelling, but it is an important activity. The department store is chosen for tourism shopping because of the quality and variety of products and services, personal selling and the advantages of tax refund for non-residents in the European Union. The paper contributes with the idea that shopping should be seen as an important activity in tourism and retailers should enhance the provision of differentiated services and experiences rather than just the authenticity of local products.