TY - JOUR
T1 - Intermediate Choice Lists: How Product Attributes Influence Purchase Likelihood in a Self-Imposed Delay
T2 - How Product Attributes Influence Purchase Likelihood in a Self-Imposed Delay
AU - Popovich, Deidre
AU - Hamilton, Ryan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 New York University
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Many online retailers enable consumers to postpone a purchase decision by placing a desired item onto an intermediate choice list, such as a wish list or saved-for-later list. This research demonstrates that using a list in this way decreases purchase intent for the wait-listed products, relative to the same choice made without the option to delay the decision. The findings of five experiments show that purchase likelihood is affected by a shift in the importance, or weight, of product attributes. Specifically, the attributes that are weighted more heavily in the decision to place an item on an intermediate choice list are then weighted less heavily in the decision to purchase an item from that list. This shift in attribute weighting suggests that consumers may switch from more noncompensatory to more compensatory decision-making between the initial decision to use an intermediate choice list, and the later decision of whether to purchase the item from the list. This process tends to diminish the importance of the attractive attributes that encouraged consumers to put these items on lists in the first place. These findings have implications for retailers who wish to understand the risks and benefits of wish lists and related tools, and for consumers who desire to reduce impulsive purchases.
AB - Many online retailers enable consumers to postpone a purchase decision by placing a desired item onto an intermediate choice list, such as a wish list or saved-for-later list. This research demonstrates that using a list in this way decreases purchase intent for the wait-listed products, relative to the same choice made without the option to delay the decision. The findings of five experiments show that purchase likelihood is affected by a shift in the importance, or weight, of product attributes. Specifically, the attributes that are weighted more heavily in the decision to place an item on an intermediate choice list are then weighted less heavily in the decision to purchase an item from that list. This shift in attribute weighting suggests that consumers may switch from more noncompensatory to more compensatory decision-making between the initial decision to use an intermediate choice list, and the later decision of whether to purchase the item from the list. This process tends to diminish the importance of the attractive attributes that encouraged consumers to put these items on lists in the first place. These findings have implications for retailers who wish to understand the risks and benefits of wish lists and related tools, and for consumers who desire to reduce impulsive purchases.
KW - Online retailing
KW - Purchase delay
KW - Two-stage decision making
KW - Wish list
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089291170&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jretai.2020.07.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jretai.2020.07.002
M3 - Article
VL - 97
SP - 251
EP - 266
JO - Journal of Retailing
JF - Journal of Retailing
IS - 2
ER -