The Effect of Hedonic Consumption and Collecting Motivation on Blind Box Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Anticipated Excitement

This study examines the effects of hedonic consumption and collecting motivation on blind box purchase intention, with anticipated excitement serving as a mediating variable. Blind box products have gained increasing popularity due to their unique combination of uncertainty, surprise, and collectible value that creates emotionally engaging consumption experiences. A quantitative research approach was employed, and data were collected from 71 consumers who had experience purchasing or showing interest in blind box products. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, normality assessment, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis through SPSS. The findings revealed that hedonic consumption and anticipated excitement significantly influenced blind box purchase intention, while collecting motivation did not have a significant direct effect on purchase intention. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relationships among hedonic consumption, collecting motivation, anticipated excitement, and purchase intention. The results further indicated that anticipated excitement partially mediated the relationship between hedonic consumption and purchase intention and fully mediated the relationship between collecting motivation and purchase intention. The study highlights the importance of emotional anticipation and experiential enjoyment in shaping consumer purchase intentions toward blind box products and provides valuable insights for both consumer behavior research and marketing practice.

Marketing

1. Buechel, E. C., & Li, R. (2023). Mysterious consumption: Preference for horizontal (vs. vertical) uncertainty and the role of surprise. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(6), 987-1013. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chi, T., Tymoshchuk, O., Mollel, J., Chen, Y., Chao, L., & Shen, L. (2026). Unlocking the appeal: An empirical study of apparel blind box adoption among Gen Z consumers. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 1-32. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Chiu, J. L., Lin, M. H., Chua, E., & Choi, J. H. (2025). Brand strategy and the effective marketing position of the blind box industry: A case study of Pop Mart. Journal of Economics, Management and Trade, 31(1), 9-22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Feng, W., Yang, Z., & Huang, L. (2024, May). Research on Consumer Repurchase Intention of Mystery Boxes—Based on Structural Equation Model. In Wuhan International Conference on E-business (pp. 349-362). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Feng, Y. L., You, Y. Q., & Guan, S. S. (2026). An empirical study on key drivers of blind box online purchase experience based on online reviews: integrating the Kano model and entropy weight method. Scientific Reports. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Gao, X. D. (2023). Exploring Generation Z's Willingness to Buy Blind Boxes With Hedonic Purchasing Motivation (Master's thesis, National Taiwan Normal University (Taiwan)). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Ginting, J. A., & Harjanti, S. (2026). The Pengaruh Flash Sale dan Fear of Missing Out terhadap Impulse Buying Blind Box Nommi Miniso dimediasi Perceived Value. Jurnal Manajemen Motivasi, 22(1), 1097-1106. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Gu, M., & Zhao, T. (2025). Research on the purchase intention of museum digital cultural and creative products based on value adoption model. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 18184. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gunarian, N., Annabel, A., & Desfianti, W. G. (2025). Exploring the Factors Behind Gen Z's Blind Box Purchase Intention in Jakarta. Journal of Syntax Literate, 10(6). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Hariramani, P. R., Quesada, J. C. R., Tagabucba, H. A. S., Gayomale, R. A. D., & Dizon, J. F. D. (2026). Moderating Effects of Investment and Herd Behavior on Kidult Culture and Visual Aesthetics in Repurchase Intention for Blind Box Toys. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 15(2), 342-357. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. He, H., Zhang, H., Zou, X., & Zhang, Q. (2026). The Impact of Power Distance Belief on Blind Box Consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 25(2), 636-650. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Hu, A., Yuan, R., Chen, R., & Liu, M. J. (2024). Repurchasing probabilistic goods as incentive sensation process for lonely individuals: The roles of liking and wanting. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 58(1), 223-253. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Hua, N., Shannon, R., Haider, M., & Moschis, G. P. (2023). Factors influencing purchase intention of food surplus through a food-sharing platform. Sustainability, 15(17), 13000. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Huang, Y., & Chen, C. H. (2026). Sustainable Community Marketing for Probabilistic Goods: The Paradox of Brand Love and Jealousy in a Dual Emotional Engagement Model. Sustainability, 18(2), 560. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Huang, Y., & Suo, L. (2025). Impact of Consumption Experience on Purchasing Decisions of Blind Box Services in China: The Mediation of Consumer Needs. Human Behavior, Development & Society, 26(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Hussain, A., Mirza, F., Sarker, M., & Ting, D. H. (2025). From play to pay: exploring imaginal and emotional virtual item retail experiences in online game environment. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(14), 8897-8911. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Kang, J., Su, C., Lan, J., & Chen, L. (2024). Effects of the subscription-based partitioned pricing strategy of digital content platforms on user willingness to purchase. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(4), 3305-3330. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Kovacheva, A., & Wiener, H. J. (2024). Let's speculate about it: When and why consumers want to discuss mystery products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 34(3), 492-501. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Lee, C., Com, B., & Bus, B. (2024). Consumer collecting behaviour and the effects of randomised acquisition. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Leones, B. G., Keyda, M. M., Jalgalado, J. C. C., Ipia, M. K. S. D., Lozano, S. A., & Guballo, J. O. (2026). Factors Influencing the Purchase Intention of Pop Mart Products: Evidence from Filipino Consumers in Metro Manila, Philippines. Journal of Management Studies and Development, 5(02), 336-348. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Lin, A., Yu, X., & Cao, G. (2025, December). Dual-Affect Mechanisms: How Time Scarcity and Quantity Scarcity Elicit Impulse Buying for Probabilistic Products Through Concurrent Mediation of Anticipated Surprise and Regret. In 2025 5th International Conference on Business Administration and Data Science (BADS 2025) (pp. 12-23). Atlantis Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Liu, S. W., Huang, W., Rao, H., & Fu, Y. K. (2023). Ternary economic analysis of blind-box marketing. Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 36(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Liu, Y., & Kerepat, A. (2025, December). THE GAMIFICATION APPEAL: HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP AND FOMO DRIVE REPURCHASE IN POP MART'S BLIND BOX MODEL. In Proceedings National & International Conference (Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 264). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). The Basic Emotional Impact of Environments. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 38(1), 283–301. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1974.38.1.283 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Mvondo, G. F. N., Jing, F., & Hussain, K. (2023). What's in the box? Investigating the benefits and risks of the blind box selling strategy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 71, 103189. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Nuraini, A., & Rahyadi, I. (2026). The Role of Impulsive Buying in Shaping Gen Z’s Blind Box Repurchase Behavior. Glosains: Jurnal Sains Global Indonesia, 7(2), 586-596. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Qiu, Z., Chen, S., Law, R., & Zhang, M. (2024). How to utilize the information gap for blind box marketing better: evidence from plane tickets. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 29(8), 961-978. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Salleh, M. S. M., Misron, A., & Musa, N. C. (2024). Examining the mediating effects of perceived behavioural control and purchase intention on sustainable consumer behavior. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(12), 3951-3972. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Salleh, M. S., Safri, S. M., & Salleh, M. A. (2026). A Conceptual Study the Role of Income Level on Green Fomo and Purchase Decisions among Working Adults in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(7), 211–234. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Salleh, M. S., Safri, S. M., & Salleh, M. A. (2026). Does Trust Moderate Sustainable Label Effectiveness? Revisiting Consumer Behaviour toward ECO-Labels. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(7), 362–377. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Sauer, T. D. M. (2023). Unwrapping the Mystery: Exploring the Effects of Revealing Surprise Purchases (Master's thesis, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Portugal)). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Siddiqui, H. M. A., Syed, M., & Behzad, T. (2025). Conspicuous Consumption and Emotional Drivers: Understanding Repurchase Intention through Pleasure, Guilt, and Arousal in Karachi, Pakistan. Market Forces, 20(1), 113-134. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Sun, Y., Yuan, Z., & Cheng, H. (2024). Obsessed with surprise? The effects of probabilistic selling on online consumers’ repurchase intention. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 32(5), 690-711. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Tang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2026). The scarcer, the more eager to buy? How does the scarcity of blind box products affect impulse purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 89, 104567. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Tang, X., Zhang, Y., & Shao, F. (2025). The effect of blind box product scarcity on consumer impulse purchase intentions: a mediation model based on perceived control. Current Psychology, 44(23), 18148-18163. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Wang, Y. (2025). Exploring the mechanism of blind box experience marketing driving consumer behavior from the perspective of biological behavioural patterns: An analysis of the mediating effect of customer surprise. Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, 22(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Xia, F., Xu, Y., Zhang, H., & Yuan, X. (2025). The effect of doll blind box uncertainty on consumers’ irrational consumption behavior: the role of instant gratification, Gambler’s fallacy, and perceived scarcity. BMC psychology, 13(1), 332. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Xiao, J., & Xu, J. (2026). Exploring behavioural intentions of generation Z in blind box travel planning: an integrated TPB-TAM approach with innovativeness and risk-taking tendencies. Transportation Planning and Technology, 1-23. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. XIYUN, G. (2024). FACTORS, MEDIATORS AND MODERATORS MITIGATING IMPULSIVE BUYING BEHAVIOR OF BLIND BOXES IN CHINA (Doctoral dissertation, School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Xu, T. T., Wang, E., Yang, Z., Zhou, X., & Zheng, G. (2025). Surprise discounts promote more effectively than unexpected discounts: The moderating effect of consumption goal. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 87, 104408. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Xu, Z., Li, S., Guo, X., & Keh, H. T. (2025). From thrill to control: How collection stage shapes channel choice in blind box collecting. Journal of Retailing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Yu, R. (2025). Unveiling the veil of uncertainty: Exploring emotional drivers and consumer behavior in blind box consumption. In Connecting Ideas, Cultures, and Communities (pp. 241-248). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Zahrudy, F., & Rany, T. A. P. (2025). From perception to purchase: how anthropomorphism shapes buying intentions through product knowledge. Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship Research, 6(3), 188-203. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Zhan, H. (2024). Research on the impact of blind box on consumers and marketing strategies. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 207, p. 01011). EDP Sciences. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Zhan, L., & Xiong, Y. (2024, May). Research on the Influence Mechanism of Blind Box Product Characteristics on Consumers’ Purchase Intention. In Wuhan International Conference on E-business (pp. 225-236). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Zhang, C., & Wang, R. (2026). Lightweight translation as emotional support in global communication: A qualitative analysis of Pop Mart. Acta Psychologica, 264, 106428. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Zhang, Y., Cui, Y., & van Esch, P. (2025). Disentangling Uncertainty in Mysterious Consumption. Australasian Marketing Journal, 14413582251385207. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Zhen, S. (2025). ANALYSIS OF BLIND BOX MARKETING STRATEGIES DRIVEN BY THE CONSUMPTION PSYCHOLOGY OF GENERATION Z: A CASE STUDY OF POP MART. Global Media and Social Sciences Research Journal, 6(1), 124-130. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Zheng, S. (2025). The Driving Mechanisms and Psychological Effects of Surprise Box Consumption: A Systematic Review from a Multidisciplinary Perspective. Available at SSRN 5333446. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Zhou, L., Mu, J., & Yang, C. (2025). The Dual-Driven Mechanism of “Value and Need” Influencing Consumers’ Continuous Purchase Behavior in Blind Box Consumption. Sustainability, 17(18), 8452. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study