Consumer experiences of purchasing condoms — the analysis of emotions and customers’ journey

Abstract

Unprotected sex carries a number of consequences, but according to a WHO report, as many as 41% of people under the age of 25 engage in such risky behaviour. The reasons for this can be traced to insuffi-cient sex education, lack of knowledge about the risks, or limited access to contraception. Less obvious causes are the negative emotions that customers can experience when buying condoms. The article aims to present the experience of purchasing this product, as well as to verify to what extent these negative emotions affect the resignation from subsequent purchases. I will portray the customer journey based on the narrative of students from two universities, consisting of the following stages: preplanning, en-tering the store, searching for and selecting the product, carrying to the checkout, selecting a cashier and buying, anticipating reactions and reflections.