Creation of PUBLIC SERVICE VALUE Based on the Mediating Effect of Customized Cosmetics Salesperson Customer Empathy in the Relation Between Middle-Aged Women s Cosmetic Consumption Needs and Customized Cosmetic Purchase Intentions

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the relation between the desire to consume customized cosmetics and the purchase intention in middle-aged women. In the relation between these variables, the mediating effect of customer empathy is confirmed. The purpose is to present the implications of the individual public value of beauty services for the expansion of middle-aged women consumption of customized cosmetics. Method: This study used the SPSS 22.0 program as the empirical analysis method for the 515 copies of an online questionnaire for middle-aged women in 17 cities and provinces nationwide. In order to verify the desire to consume cosmetics and the mediating effect of customized cosmetics salesperson’s customer empathy, a re-verification was performed through regression analysis and the Sobel-test according to the mediating effect verification procedure proposed by Baron & Kenny(1986). Results: In Research Question 1, in regards to the desire to consume cosmetics, the desire for brand and self-expression, for relations and belonging, for nature-friendliness, and for pleasure have a significant positive(+) effect on the purchase intention of customized cosmetics. In Research Question 2, the desire for safety, for na-ture-friendliness, and for pleasure had a significant positive(+) effect. In addition, in Research Question 3, the desire for safety(p<.01), for nature-friendliness(p<. 05), and for pleasure(p<.05) mediate the salesperson’s em-pathy towards the customer and their influence on purchase intention was partly significant. Conclusion: This study results show the positive effect of emotional empathy on consumers purchase through the customized cosmetics salesperson cognitive empathy and the importance of their ability to empa-thize in order to induce the consumer s purchasing behavior. Therefore, in the future, customized cosmetics sellers need not only to equip them with specialized knowledge and qualifications to obtain the public value purchase of products and services through empathy, but also to provide training programs.