The Communal Consumption Experience: Ritual, Exchange and the Business of Connection

This book examines how shared consumption experiences shape consumer behavior, market strategies, and social connection. From wine tastings and direct selling events to hospitality and digital engagement, it explores the evolving ways people come together to consume, celebrate, and connect.

Using communal wine consumption as a case study, this volume reveals how shared rituals ― from intimate gatherings to large-scale events ― drive economic and cultural trends. Topics include the role of social interaction in purchasing decisions, the balance of competition and collaboration in business, and the rise of digital platforms that reshape traditional consumption experiences.

This book is essential for scholars, industry professionals, and anyone interested in marketing, consumer psychology, and experiential commerce as it offers a fresh perspective on the power of shared consumption in an evolving marketplace.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of Wine Research.

Brittney C. Bauer is Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago, USA. She is the Director of the Quinlan School of Business Behavioral Lab (QuinLab). Her major research interests are centered on consumer behavior and international marketing, particularly in understanding consumer psychological attachments and social judgements. Her work has been published in several well-respected journals.

Adam J. Mills is Associate Dean, Associate Professor of Marketing, and Chase Professor of Minority Entrepreneurship at Loyola University New Orleans College of Business, USA. He serves as Associate Editor of Journal of Strategic Marketing and the Journal of Marketing Education. His research investigates the engineering of customer experience in both retail and educational spaces, with a focus on brand storytelling and service innovation.