Consumer experience co-creation in speciality coffee through social media sharing: its antecedents and consequences

Purpose The present study aims to examine consumers’ happiness experiences for speciality coffee consumption in Thailand by considering the role of consumers’ active participation, sharing of experience and consumer experience co-creation. Design/methodology/approach A purposive survey was conducted in speciality coffee shops located in the largest commercial city and industrial development centre in the Northeastern Region of Thailand, Khon Kaen City, which yielded 271 usable and valid responses. The proposed model was evaluated by using a structural equation analysis with a partial least squares technique. Findings The results confirmed that consumers’ active participation and sharing of experience affected their experience co-creation, which in turn contributed to the consumers’ happiness experience at the speciality coffee shops. Originality/value This study contributes to the consumer experience co-creation and social media literature by proposing a conceptual model for the speciality coffee consumption experience. Furthermore, the study findings contribute to the existing literature by investigating new linkages, such as the role of consumer experience co-creation in a speciality coffee context as a mediating variable of consumer active participation and the sharing of experience with consumers’ happiness experience.