The relationship between consumer behavior and subjective well-being in Chinese teahouses and cafes: A social capital perspective

This study uses social capital to explore the mechanisms by which consumer behavior in teahouses and cafes is associated with subjective well-being. A questionnaire survey (n = 767) was conducted in 2019. The results showed that conversations with other customers rather than with prearranged people were more associated with either bridging social capital, bonding social capital, or feeling social capital. Also, social capital generated in teahouses and cafes was associated with subjective well-being, with bridging social capital being more associated with interpersonal relationship satisfaction and subjective well-being than bonding social capital. This study considered interactions with acquaintances as well as other consumers and staff; and examined the relationship between various types of social capital and subjective well-being separately. This study provides scholars with a deeper understanding of social interactions in consumer spaces and their impact on intergroup relationships, and the role of leisure research in the development of social capital theory.