Academic Research
Effects of Crisis-induced Inflation on Purchasing and Consumer Behavior in Germany
This study examines the impact of crisis-induced inflation and product scarcity on consumer behavior in Germany. Using the React-Cope-Adapt (RCA) framework, it analyzes how financial constraints and product shortages influence stress, financial planning, and purchasing decisions. The study is based on a two-wave survey (T1: N = 152, T2: N = 129) conducted during periods of high inflation and pre-Christmas economic conditions. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is applied to assess the dynamic interplay between financial constraints, stress, and behavioral adaptations over time.The results indicate that financial constraints and product scarcity significantly increase stress levels, which in turn drive both impulsive (e.g., panic buying) and strategic (e.g., financial planning) consumer responses. Financial planning proves to be a key coping mechanism, leading to reduced discretionary spending and a greater reliance on private-label products. Over time, stress-driven behaviors, such as panic buying, decline, while structured financial adjustments persist.The findings provide practical implications for policymakers and retailers. Transparent financial communication and targeted support measures can help mitigate stress, while retailers can address shifting consumer preferences by expanding cost-effective product offerings and strengthening supply chain resilience.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104295
Authors: Theresia Mennekes, Hanna Schramm-Klein
ABSTRACT
This study examines the impact of crisis-induced inflation and product scarcity on consumer behavior in Germany. Using the React-Cope-Adapt (RCA) framework, it analyzes how financial constraints and product shortages influence stress, financial planning, and purchasing decisions. The study is based on a two-wave survey (T1: N = 152, T2: N = 129) conducted during periods of high inflation and pre-Christmas economic conditions. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is applied to assess the dynamic interplay between financial constraints, stress, and behavioral adaptations over time.The results indicate that financial constraints and product scarcity significantly increase stress levels, which in turn drive both impulsive (e.g., panic buying) and strategic (e.g., financial planning) consumer responses. Financial planning proves to be a key coping mechanism, leading to reduced discretionary spending and a greater reliance on private-label products. Over time, stress-driven behaviors, such as panic buying, decline, while structured financial adjustments persist.The findings provide practical implications for policymakers and retailers. Transparent financial communication and targeted support measures can help mitigate stress, while retailers can address shifting consumer preferences by expanding cost-effective product offerings and strengthening supply chain resilience.
The Power of Personal Losses: How the Loss-gain Frame Influences Public Green Participation Intentions
Despite the growing public awareness of environmental issues, a common gap between attitude and behavior persists. Effectively promoting public participation in pro-environmental actions remains a critical challenge in enhancing environmental governance. This research focuses on the gain-loss framing of green appeals and develops a research model to investigate the influence of different framing types (personal loss vs. collective gain) on the public's intention to engage in green behavior. Through four experiments, including both field and laboratory studies, the research demonstrates that framing green appeals in terms of personal losses is more likely to foster a higher intention to engage in green behavior than framing them in terms of collective gains. The underlying mechanism of this effect is that emphasizing personal losses strengthens the public's sense of psychological empowerment, thereby increasing their sense of green self-accountability, which, in turn, boosts their intentions to participate in green behaviors. However, this effect is moderated by individuals' green self-efficacy. The higher an individual's green self-efficacy, the weaker the impact of the gain-loss framing on their psychological empowerment.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104296
Authors: Chunfeng Chen, Depeng Zhang, Lu Zhu, Junbao Wu
ABSTRACT
Despite the growing public awareness of environmental issues, a common gap between attitude and behavior persists. Effectively promoting public participation in pro-environmental actions remains a critical challenge in enhancing environmental governance. This research focuses on the gain-loss framing of green appeals and develops a research model to investigate the influence of different framing types (personal loss vs. collective gain) on the public's intention to engage in green behavior. Through four experiments, including both field and laboratory studies, the research demonstrates that framing green appeals in terms of personal losses is more likely to foster a higher intention to engage in green behavior than framing them in terms of collective gains. The underlying mechanism of this effect is that emphasizing personal losses strengthens the public's sense of psychological empowerment, thereby increasing their sense of green self-accountability, which, in turn, boosts their intentions to participate in green behaviors. However, this effect is moderated by individuals' green self-efficacy. The higher an individual's green self-efficacy, the weaker the impact of the gain-loss framing on their psychological empowerment.
Recovering Customer Satisfaction After a Chatbot Service Failure – The Effect of Gender
Chatbots in customer service often fail to meet customer expectations, largely because they are considered prone to comprehension errors. Service recovery can decisively restore perceived humanness and user satisfaction through perceived warmth and competence after a service failure. In this study, we investigate the effect of the chatbot's gender on the user in service recovery. The majority of chatbots in customer service display female characteristics. We use a pre-study (n = 30) to determine the perceived gender of several chatbot avatars and a scenario-based experiment (n = 300) in which the service recovery after an outcome failure and the gender of the chatbot are manipulated. The results show that the service recovery significantly improved user satisfaction with the chatbot. In addition, the chatbot was perceived as significantly warmer and more competent, which resulted in higher perceived humanness and increased user satisfaction. Male chatbots were perceived as less warm in failure situations when service recovery was not achieved. However, following service recovery, there are no differences in the perception of the chatbot's warmth and gender. Perceived warmth is correlated with perceived competence. Gender incongruence between the chatbot and the respondent resulted in a higher perceived humanness of the chatbot in service recovery. Therefore, firms should pay particular attention to the contexts in which chatbots are used and whether gender matching is appropriate.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104257
Authors: Alexandra Rese, Lennart Witthohn
ABSTRACT
Chatbots in customer service often fail to meet customer expectations, largely because they are considered prone to comprehension errors. Service recovery can decisively restore perceived humanness and user satisfaction through perceived warmth and competence after a service failure. In this study, we investigate the effect of the chatbot's gender on the user in service recovery. The majority of chatbots in customer service display female characteristics. We use a pre-study (n = 30) to determine the perceived gender of several chatbot avatars and a scenario-based experiment (n = 300) in which the service recovery after an outcome failure and the gender of the chatbot are manipulated. The results show that the service recovery significantly improved user satisfaction with the chatbot. In addition, the chatbot was perceived as significantly warmer and more competent, which resulted in higher perceived humanness and increased user satisfaction. Male chatbots were perceived as less warm in failure situations when service recovery was not achieved. However, following service recovery, there are no differences in the perception of the chatbot's warmth and gender. Perceived warmth is correlated with perceived competence. Gender incongruence between the chatbot and the respondent resulted in a higher perceived humanness of the chatbot in service recovery. Therefore, firms should pay particular attention to the contexts in which chatbots are used and whether gender matching is appropriate.
Less Colorful = Purer? The Effect of Packaging Colorfulness on Product Purity Perception
This study examines how packaging colorfulness shapes consumer perceptions of product purity. Across five studies employing various stimuli, results demonstrate that consumers tend to perceive less colorful packaging as indicative of higher product purity compared to more colorful packaging. This perception bias arises from the inference that low colorfulness in packaging suggests fewer varieties of ingredients. Furthermore, the impact of packaging colorfulness on perceived product purity diminishes when detailed ingredient information is salient. These findings clarify how consumers infer product purity from the packaging colorfulness and provide strategic guidance for marketers in leveraging these perception biases for packaging design.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104283
Authors: Zhiyuan Huang, Xiaohe Dai
ABSTRACT
This study examines how packaging colorfulness shapes consumer perceptions of product purity. Across five studies employing various stimuli, results demonstrate that consumers tend to perceive less colorful packaging as indicative of higher product purity compared to more colorful packaging. This perception bias arises from the inference that low colorfulness in packaging suggests fewer varieties of ingredients. Furthermore, the impact of packaging colorfulness on perceived product purity diminishes when detailed ingredient information is salient. These findings clarify how consumers infer product purity from the packaging colorfulness and provide strategic guidance for marketers in leveraging these perception biases for packaging design.
The Way Out – Customer Benefits and Self-service Satisfaction in Cashierless Shopping Systems
Introducing cashierless shopping systems offers an opportunity to innovate the checkout process for stationary retailers who encounter significant competition from both, existing stationary competitors and online retailers. The present study analyzes three types of cashierless shopping systems: mobile apps, face recognition, and self-checkouts. Following a review of customer benefits of digitization in stationary retailing, we integrate customer convenience, empowerment, and experience as well as self-service satisfaction in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. An initial study with 406 participants validates the underlying framework while extending it with technology affinity and privacy concerns. Customer benefits in cashierless systems are explored based on 539 questionnaires. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, customer empowerment, and customer experience positively impact shoppers’ self-service satisfaction and willingness to use cashierless systems. Conversely, concerns about data privacy have a negative effect. The results reveal that participants perceive all types of cashierless shopping systems as comparatively similar. These systems perform the checkout process, empower shoppers, create positive service experiences, and adhere to data protection regulations. Qualitative insights ultimatively identify five key topics: convenience, security concerns, social concerns, technical concerns, and the shopping situation. These findings highlight the complexity of customer preferences regarding cashierless shopping systems.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104280
Authors: Carsten D. Schultz, Friederike Paetz
ABSTRACT
Introducing cashierless shopping systems offers an opportunity to innovate the checkout process for stationary retailers who encounter significant competition from both, existing stationary competitors and online retailers. The present study analyzes three types of cashierless shopping systems: mobile apps, face recognition, and self-checkouts. Following a review of customer benefits of digitization in stationary retailing, we integrate customer convenience, empowerment, and experience as well as self-service satisfaction in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. An initial study with 406 participants validates the underlying framework while extending it with technology affinity and privacy concerns. Customer benefits in cashierless systems are explored based on 539 questionnaires. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, customer empowerment, and customer experience positively impact shoppers’ self-service satisfaction and willingness to use cashierless systems. Conversely, concerns about data privacy have a negative effect. The results reveal that participants perceive all types of cashierless shopping systems as comparatively similar. These systems perform the checkout process, empower shoppers, create positive service experiences, and adhere to data protection regulations. Qualitative insights ultimatively identify five key topics: convenience, security concerns, social concerns, technical concerns, and the shopping situation. These findings highlight the complexity of customer preferences regarding cashierless shopping systems.
A New Social Media Programme for Brands? A Study of the Relationship Between Virtual Influencers and Brand Followers
The use of virtual influencers has become a crucial component of brand marketing strategies on social media platforms. This approach offers a novel form of marketing that enables deep engagement, high controllability, and cost-efficiency. Nevertheless, the phenomenon has not been sufficiently studied by researchers. To further examine the relationship between a brand's virtual influencers and its followers, we created a comprehensive dataset comprising 30,090 pieces of content posted by brands using virtual influencers on TikTok between September 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. The findings of our study yield several important insights into the ways in which brands utilize virtual influencers. Firstly, previous studies have concentrated on the potential positive or negative effects of virtual influencers on their follower numbers. Our findings indicate that the impact of a brand's utilization of virtual influencers on its social media follower count does not adhere to a straightforward, linear trajectory. Instead, it exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship. Secondly, user behavior acts as a mediator between brand virtual influencers and brand followers. Specifically, affected U-shaped relationship exists between brand virtual influencers and social media user engagement behaviors and user repost behaviors, which in turn affect the number of brand followers. Furthermore, it was determined that virtual influencer interaction behaviors moderated the inverted U-shaped relationship between virtual influencers and user engagement behaviors and user repost behaviors. This study innovatively incorporates the perspective of ‘the uncanny valley effect’ to reveal the complexities of the relationship between virtual influencers and brand followers and provides a comprehensive framework for brands to develop effective strategies utilizing virtual influencers.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104241
Authors: Zhiwei Guo, Hongtao Yang, Wang Yang
ABSTRACT
The use of virtual influencers has become a crucial component of brand marketing strategies on social media platforms. This approach offers a novel form of marketing that enables deep engagement, high controllability, and cost-efficiency. Nevertheless, the phenomenon has not been sufficiently studied by researchers. To further examine the relationship between a brand's virtual influencers and its followers, we created a comprehensive dataset comprising 30,090 pieces of content posted by brands using virtual influencers on TikTok between September 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. The findings of our study yield several important insights into the ways in which brands utilize virtual influencers. Firstly, previous studies have concentrated on the potential positive or negative effects of virtual influencers on their follower numbers. Our findings indicate that the impact of a brand's utilization of virtual influencers on its social media follower count does not adhere to a straightforward, linear trajectory. Instead, it exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship. Secondly, user behavior acts as a mediator between brand virtual influencers and brand followers. Specifically, affected U-shaped relationship exists between brand virtual influencers and social media user engagement behaviors and user repost behaviors, which in turn affect the number of brand followers. Furthermore, it was determined that virtual influencer interaction behaviors moderated the inverted U-shaped relationship between virtual influencers and user engagement behaviors and user repost behaviors. This study innovatively incorporates the perspective of ‘the uncanny valley effect’ to reveal the complexities of the relationship between virtual influencers and brand followers and provides a comprehensive framework for brands to develop effective strategies utilizing virtual influencers.
“Planting” Meat Substitutes in the Meat Shelf: An Online and Two Supermarket Field Experiments to Explore the Effect of Placing Meat Substitutes Next to Meat
Positioning of retail assortments is a powerful way to create a choice architecture that facilitates consumers’ sustainable product choices, for example the shift from animal-derived to plant-based proteins which benefits both planetary and public health. From the perspective of categorisation theory, we investigate whether changing choice architecture, specifically positioning meat substitutes in the meat shelf, increases purchases of meat substitutes and decreases meat sales, in two field experiments in two large supermarket chains in The Netherlands and a lab experiment. In field Study 1a, we positioned all meat substitutes in the meat shelf, which backfired and led to a decrease in meat substitute sales. In lab Study 1b, we explored the effect of merging meat substitutes into the meat shelf which shifted meat substitutes towards the meat category in the mind of consumers. In field Study 2, we placed a selection of meat substitutes in the meat shelf, while maintaining a separate vegetarian shelf. Positioning a selection of meat substitutes in the meat shelf led to an increase in meat substitute sales over the long term, especially amongst meat-eaters and flexitarians. However, meat sales did not decrease in both field studies. Maintaining a separate vegetarian shelf is important to keep serving meat reducers (i.e., vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians). Altering choice architecture in the supermarket is an effective tool in enhancing sales of meat substitutes and sustainable alternatives in general.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104223
Authors: M. van der Meer, E.M. Schruff-Lim, M.C. Onwezen, A.R.H. Fischer
ABSTRACT
Positioning of retail assortments is a powerful way to create a choice architecture that facilitates consumers’ sustainable product choices, for example the shift from animal-derived to plant-based proteins which benefits both planetary and public health. From the perspective of categorisation theory, we investigate whether changing choice architecture, specifically positioning meat substitutes in the meat shelf, increases purchases of meat substitutes and decreases meat sales, in two field experiments in two large supermarket chains in The Netherlands and a lab experiment. In field Study 1a, we positioned all meat substitutes in the meat shelf, which backfired and led to a decrease in meat substitute sales. In lab Study 1b, we explored the effect of merging meat substitutes into the meat shelf which shifted meat substitutes towards the meat category in the mind of consumers. In field Study 2, we placed a selection of meat substitutes in the meat shelf, while maintaining a separate vegetarian shelf. Positioning a selection of meat substitutes in the meat shelf led to an increase in meat substitute sales over the long term, especially amongst meat-eaters and flexitarians. However, meat sales did not decrease in both field studies. Maintaining a separate vegetarian shelf is important to keep serving meat reducers (i.e., vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians). Altering choice architecture in the supermarket is an effective tool in enhancing sales of meat substitutes and sustainable alternatives in general.
Tailoring Explanations in Conversational Recommendations: The Impact of Decision Contexts and User Interfaces
Explainability is crucial for building trust in traditional recommendation systems, yet its role in conversational settings is underexplored. Across three experimental studies (N = 1,429), we used between-subjects designs featuring diverse product categories (cameras, smartwatches, headphones) to examine the interactive effects of post hoc explanations (expert validation-based vs. consensus validation-based) and decision-making domains (hedonic vs. utilitarian) on consumer responses to conversational recommendations. We further examined how consumer decision-making styles (intuitive vs. rational) and user interfaces (text-based vs. voice-based) moderated these effects. Results show that post hoc explanations enhance perceived transparency and interpretability, thereby increasing consumer trust in conversational recommendations. In text-based interfaces, consumers making hedonic decisions preferred consensus-based explanations, whereas no clear preference emerged for utilitarian decision-makers. In voice-based interfaces, utilitarian consumers favored consensus-based explanations, while no significant preference was observed for hedonic decisions. Furthermore, intuitive consumers preferred consensus-based explanations for hedonic decisions and expert-based explanations for utilitarian decisions. Rational consumers consistently favored consensus-based explanations across both decision-making domains. These findings provide valuable insights for designing conversational recommendation systems on e-commerce platforms. By tailoring explanations to decision domains, user interfaces, and consumer decision-making styles, businesses can foster greater trust and engagement, driving more favorable purchasing behaviors and improving business outcomes.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104281
Authors: Qian Qian Chen, Li Min Lin, Youjae Yi
ABSTRACT
Explainability is crucial for building trust in traditional recommendation systems, yet its role in conversational settings is underexplored. Across three experimental studies (N = 1,429), we used between-subjects designs featuring diverse product categories (cameras, smartwatches, headphones) to examine the interactive effects of post hoc explanations (expert validation-based vs. consensus validation-based) and decision-making domains (hedonic vs. utilitarian) on consumer responses to conversational recommendations. We further examined how consumer decision-making styles (intuitive vs. rational) and user interfaces (text-based vs. voice-based) moderated these effects. Results show that post hoc explanations enhance perceived transparency and interpretability, thereby increasing consumer trust in conversational recommendations. In text-based interfaces, consumers making hedonic decisions preferred consensus-based explanations, whereas no clear preference emerged for utilitarian decision-makers. In voice-based interfaces, utilitarian consumers favored consensus-based explanations, while no significant preference was observed for hedonic decisions. Furthermore, intuitive consumers preferred consensus-based explanations for hedonic decisions and expert-based explanations for utilitarian decisions. Rational consumers consistently favored consensus-based explanations across both decision-making domains. These findings provide valuable insights for designing conversational recommendation systems on e-commerce platforms. By tailoring explanations to decision domains, user interfaces, and consumer decision-making styles, businesses can foster greater trust and engagement, driving more favorable purchasing behaviors and improving business outcomes.
Unpacking Conflicting Evaluations and Ambivalence in Online Hotel Booking: The Moderating Role of Perceived Enjoyment in User Retention
The online travel industry, particularly hotel booking platforms, operates in a highly competitive environment where user retention is crucial for reducing acquisition costs and ensuring long-term profitability. While ambivalence toward technology has been linked to unfavorable outcomes, its antecedents and associations with user retention in the context of online hotel booking platforms remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how key platform features—perceived security risk, effort, usefulness, and enjoyment—are associated with user ambivalence and retention. Using structural equation modeling with survey data from 387 participants, the findings reveal that perceived usefulness and enjoyment are negatively associated with ambivalence, whereas perceived effort and security risk are positively associated with it. Ambivalence, in turn, is negatively associated with user retention. Additionally, perceived enjoyment moderates this relationship by weakening the negative association between ambivalence and retention. Mediation analyses suggest that ambivalence partially mediates the relationships between perceived usefulness and enjoyment with retention, while fully mediating the associations between perceived effort and security risk with retention. These findings highlight the importance of addressing user ambivalence and provide actionable insights for enhancing user retention. Strategies such as improving enjoyable features and addressing perceived effort and security concerns may contribute to increased engagement and competitiveness in online hotel booking platforms.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000451?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Yixiu Yu, Fred Davis, Eric Walden, Ofir Turel
ABSTRACT
The online travel industry, particularly hotel booking platforms, operates in a highly competitive environment where user retention is crucial for reducing acquisition costs and ensuring long-term profitability. While ambivalence toward technology has been linked to unfavorable outcomes, its antecedents and associations with user retention in the context of online hotel booking platforms remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how key platform features—perceived security risk, effort, usefulness, and enjoyment—are associated with user ambivalence and retention. Using structural equation modeling with survey data from 387 participants, the findings reveal that perceived usefulness and enjoyment are negatively associated with ambivalence, whereas perceived effort and security risk are positively associated with it. Ambivalence, in turn, is negatively associated with user retention. Additionally, perceived enjoyment moderates this relationship by weakening the negative association between ambivalence and retention. Mediation analyses suggest that ambivalence partially mediates the relationships between perceived usefulness and enjoyment with retention, while fully mediating the associations between perceived effort and security risk with retention. These findings highlight the importance of addressing user ambivalence and provide actionable insights for enhancing user retention. Strategies such as improving enjoyable features and addressing perceived effort and security concerns may contribute to increased engagement and competitiveness in online hotel booking platforms.
Optimizing Gift Card And Pricing Strategies In The Presence Of Double Mental Discounting
Gift card promotions are widely used in the retail industry and often lead to a phenomenon known as double mental discounting, where consumers mentally deduct the gift card value from their purchase costs multiple times—both when they receive and redeem the card. This paper develops an analytical model to examine the impact of double mental discounting on retailers' promotion and pricing decisions within a two-period framework. The results indicate that retailers' decisions to implement gift card strategies depend on both the double mental discounting and the cash equivalent effects. When offering gift card promotions, retailers generally provide high-value gift cards and raise prices to stimulate consumer purchases while preserving revenue. The double mental discounting effect positively influences gift card value but may negatively impact prices. Additionally, when consumers exhibit inconsistency in their perceived value of gift cards, retailers are even more inclined to offer gift card promotions. Furthermore, we extend the basic model to incorporate consumer heterogeneity in cash equivalent effects, retailer sales costs and competition. This study provides valuable managerial insights for retailers, particularly in identifying when and how to deploy gift card promotions in the presence of double mental discounting.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104269
Authors: Jie Cui, Jingming Pan
ABSTRACT
Gift card promotions are widely used in the retail industry and often lead to a phenomenon known as double mental discounting, where consumers mentally deduct the gift card value from their purchase costs multiple times—both when they receive and redeem the card. This paper develops an analytical model to examine the impact of double mental discounting on retailers' promotion and pricing decisions within a two-period framework. The results indicate that retailers' decisions to implement gift card strategies depend on both the double mental discounting and the cash equivalent effects. When offering gift card promotions, retailers generally provide high-value gift cards and raise prices to stimulate consumer purchases while preserving revenue. The double mental discounting effect positively influences gift card value but may negatively impact prices. Additionally, when consumers exhibit inconsistency in their perceived value of gift cards, retailers are even more inclined to offer gift card promotions. Furthermore, we extend the basic model to incorporate consumer heterogeneity in cash equivalent effects, retailer sales costs and competition. This study provides valuable managerial insights for retailers, particularly in identifying when and how to deploy gift card promotions in the presence of double mental discounting.
I Am Not Like Them: A Terror Management Theory Perspective on the Consumer Separation Tendency of Pet Profile Images
Despite increasing trends of influencers using pet elements to pursue business benefits, little attention has been paid to understanding their harmful effects. According to the Terror Management Theory, this research aimed to fill this gap by exploring how mortality salience reduced the effectiveness of influencers with pet profile images. On the basis of four experiments, we found that mortality salience hurt consumer's attitude toward them because increased anxiety about physical death led consumers to perceive less similarity and separate from pet images. Furthermore, the above negative effect on consumer's attitude was reversed by their posts disclosing worldviews (a sense of meaning transcending death), which provided consumers with an effective defense tool against fear of mortality.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000189?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Yongdan Liu, Matthew Tingchi Liu, Yutong Ma
ABSTRACT
Despite increasing trends of influencers using pet elements to pursue business benefits, little attention has been paid to understanding their harmful effects. According to the Terror Management Theory, this research aimed to fill this gap by exploring how mortality salience reduced the effectiveness of influencers with pet profile images. On the basis of four experiments, we found that mortality salience hurt consumer's attitude toward them because increased anxiety about physical death led consumers to perceive less similarity and separate from pet images. Furthermore, the above negative effect on consumer's attitude was reversed by their posts disclosing worldviews (a sense of meaning transcending death), which provided consumers with an effective defense tool against fear of mortality.
Less Stress, Fewer Delays: The Role of Sophisticated AI in Mitigating Decision Fatigue and Purchase Postponement in Luxury Retail
Purchase postponement is a critical issue for luxury retailers, as consumers often browse or try luxury goods but ultimately delay or abandon purchases. This study explores how retail technologies can address this problem. While sophisticated AI offers diversified recommendations and hyper-personalized options, it can overwhelm consumers, increasing their decision fatigue and purchase postponement. However, it also has the potential to facilitate consumers' decision-making. Building on the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this study examines whether luxury consumers’ experiences with different levels of AI sophistication (high vs. low) show varying levels of purchase postponement (Study 1) and further explores the underlying mechanisms by which sophisticated AI mitigates decision fatigue and purchase postponement (Study 2). Results from two online experiments indicate that luxury consumers who interacted with highly sophisticated AI exhibited lower levels of purchase postponement, even among those with higher goal orientations. This is because luxury consumers perceive sophisticated AI as having more mind-like qualities (agency and experience), enhancing their perceived trust and empathy, which helps alleviate decision fatigue and purchase postponement, especially when service embarrassment is low. This paper makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in AI services, retailing, and luxury consumer research, and provides practical insights for luxury retailers with strategies to prevent and mitigate consumer decision fatigue and purchase postponement.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000475?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Jiarui Li, Jiyun Kang
ABSTRACT
Purchase postponement is a critical issue for luxury retailers, as consumers often browse or try luxury goods but ultimately delay or abandon purchases. This study explores how retail technologies can address this problem. While sophisticated AI offers diversified recommendations and hyper-personalized options, it can overwhelm consumers, increasing their decision fatigue and purchase postponement. However, it also has the potential to facilitate consumers' decision-making. Building on the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this study examines whether luxury consumers’ experiences with different levels of AI sophistication (high vs. low) show varying levels of purchase postponement (Study 1) and further explores the underlying mechanisms by which sophisticated AI mitigates decision fatigue and purchase postponement (Study 2). Results from two online experiments indicate that luxury consumers who interacted with highly sophisticated AI exhibited lower levels of purchase postponement, even among those with higher goal orientations. This is because luxury consumers perceive sophisticated AI as having more mind-like qualities (agency and experience), enhancing their perceived trust and empathy, which helps alleviate decision fatigue and purchase postponement, especially when service embarrassment is low. This paper makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in AI services, retailing, and luxury consumer research, and provides practical insights for luxury retailers with strategies to prevent and mitigate consumer decision fatigue and purchase postponement.
Research on the Impact of Matched Effects Between Green Advertising Appeals and Product Type on Consumer Purchase Intention
With increasing global attention to environmental issues, green marketing has become a vital component of corporate strategy. Consequently, designing effective green advertising strategies to attract consumers has garnered significant interest. This paper employs experimental methods to investigate the impact mechanism of green advertising appeals—specifically, egoistic appeals versus altruistic appeals—on consumers' green purchase intentions. Additionally, it utilizes the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Construal Level Theory to elucidate the internal mechanisms at play. The findings indicate that: (a) green advertising appeals exert a substantial influence on consumers' green purchase intentions and perceived information credibility, with egoistic appeals exhibiting a more pronounced effect than altruistic appeals; (b) there exists a significant mediating effect through consumers' perceived information credibility; (c) product type serves as a moderator between green advertising appeals and consumers' purchase intentions. Specifically, when purchasing utilitarian products, egoistic appeals enhance consumers' green purchase intentions and perceived information credibility compared to altruistic appeals. Conversely, when purchasing hedonic products, altruistic appeals prove more effective than egoistic appeals. Ultimately, the study's conclusion offers insights and recommendations for enhancing the efficacy of enterprise green advertising strategies.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096969892500044X?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Fei Zhang, Yi Zhang, Shiyu Liao, Xingjian Zhou, Xiaogang Ma
ABSTRACT
With increasing global attention to environmental issues, green marketing has become a vital component of corporate strategy. Consequently, designing effective green advertising strategies to attract consumers has garnered significant interest. This paper employs experimental methods to investigate the impact mechanism of green advertising appeals—specifically, egoistic appeals versus altruistic appeals—on consumers' green purchase intentions. Additionally, it utilizes the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Construal Level Theory to elucidate the internal mechanisms at play. The findings indicate that: (a) green advertising appeals exert a substantial influence on consumers' green purchase intentions and perceived information credibility, with egoistic appeals exhibiting a more pronounced effect than altruistic appeals; (b) there exists a significant mediating effect through consumers' perceived information credibility; (c) product type serves as a moderator between green advertising appeals and consumers' purchase intentions. Specifically, when purchasing utilitarian products, egoistic appeals enhance consumers' green purchase intentions and perceived information credibility compared to altruistic appeals. Conversely, when purchasing hedonic products, altruistic appeals prove more effective than egoistic appeals. Ultimately, the study's conclusion offers insights and recommendations for enhancing the efficacy of enterprise green advertising strategies.
E-Commerce Enterprise Flexibility Leading To Better Customer Perception
This study aims to assess the level of organizational flexibility in e-commerce enterprises and to develop a structural model that identifies the key factors contributing to flexibility and their impact on customer service perception. The importance of customer perception in e-commerce is undeniable; however, the intra-organizational factors that contribute to it remain unclear. One such factor is flexibility, which has not yet been thoroughly researched. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 213 e-commerce companies of different sizes. The structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that two factors significantly influence customer perception: assortment flexibility along with price and margin flexibility. Additionally, it was found that management's openness to change and the type of software utilized affect the degree of these flexibilities. This indicates that e-commerce companies should implement strategies to enhance flexibility in shaping their offerings to improve customers' perception of the services provided. It is recommended to foster management's openness to change in order to respond swiftly to evolving customer expectations. Furthermore, software functionalities that facilitate greater organizational flexibility are highly valued.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000463?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Wieslaw Urban, Barbara Buraczyńska
ABSTRACT
This study aims to assess the level of organizational flexibility in e-commerce enterprises and to develop a structural model that identifies the key factors contributing to flexibility and their impact on customer service perception. The importance of customer perception in e-commerce is undeniable; however, the intra-organizational factors that contribute to it remain unclear. One such factor is flexibility, which has not yet been thoroughly researched. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 213 e-commerce companies of different sizes. The structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that two factors significantly influence customer perception: assortment flexibility along with price and margin flexibility. Additionally, it was found that management's openness to change and the type of software utilized affect the degree of these flexibilities. This indicates that e-commerce companies should implement strategies to enhance flexibility in shaping their offerings to improve customers' perception of the services provided. It is recommended to foster management's openness to change in order to respond swiftly to evolving customer expectations. Furthermore, software functionalities that facilitate greater organizational flexibility are highly valued.
Optimizing Cooperation Mechanisms for Augmented Reality (AR) Services: Balancing Product Returns, Pricing, and Customer Satisfaction
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances user interaction with digital overlays, improving product marketing. This study investigates the interplay between AR services provided by influencers and product returns, focusing on two cooperation mechanisms: the agency mechanism (collaboration with suppliers) and the self-built store mechanism (independent operations with suppliers). Our research delves into the challenge of product returns and explores cooperation mechanisms between product suppliers and influencers utilizing AR services. The research results first show that higher customer satisfaction and providing AR services tend to increase product price and lead to higher return rates, while lower customer satisfaction and the absence of AR services result in lower product price but higher customer retention. Secondly, under the agency mechanism, when return loss costs are higher and customer satisfaction is lower, influencers provide more AR services. In the customer keep phenomenon, influencers should consider the wholesale price level, in addition to the unit management cost when deciding on high-quality AR services. Thirdly, under the agency mechanism, influencers choose to provide AR services only when customer satisfaction is very low but refrain in the self-built store mechanism. In addition, when customer satisfaction is higher, influencers can consider providing AR services and accepting returns. Furthermore, from the perspective of influencers, the agency mechanism is more advantageous when AR services are provided, while the self-built store mechanism is optimal without AR services under low satisfaction. High satisfaction consistently favors the agency mechanism.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000426?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Zhitang Li, Peng He, Henry Xu
ABSTRACT
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances user interaction with digital overlays, improving product marketing. This study investigates the interplay between AR services provided by influencers and product returns, focusing on two cooperation mechanisms: the agency mechanism (collaboration with suppliers) and the self-built store mechanism (independent operations with suppliers). Our research delves into the challenge of product returns and explores cooperation mechanisms between product suppliers and influencers utilizing AR services. The research results first show that higher customer satisfaction and providing AR services tend to increase product price and lead to higher return rates, while lower customer satisfaction and the absence of AR services result in lower product price but higher customer retention. Secondly, under the agency mechanism, when return loss costs are higher and customer satisfaction is lower, influencers provide more AR services. In the customer keep phenomenon, influencers should consider the wholesale price level, in addition to the unit management cost when deciding on high-quality AR services. Thirdly, under the agency mechanism, influencers choose to provide AR services only when customer satisfaction is very low but refrain in the self-built store mechanism. In addition, when customer satisfaction is higher, influencers can consider providing AR services and accepting returns. Furthermore, from the perspective of influencers, the agency mechanism is more advantageous when AR services are provided, while the self-built store mechanism is optimal without AR services under low satisfaction. High satisfaction consistently favors the agency mechanism.
How to Present Food Images on Packaging? The Influence of Aesthetics Design on Consumers’ Perceived Healthiness
Product images on packaging are widespread and essential marketing tools in retailing. Consumers increasingly rely on packaging designs to infer healthiness of food. However, it remains unclear whether the presentation style of food images on packaging influences the perceived healthiness. This study delves into the impact of classical aesthetics design in presenting food images on healthiness judgments, as well as its mechanism and boundary, through five experiments. The results indicate that high classical aesthetic presentation of food images enhances consumers' healthiness perception and purchase intention, with perceived naturalness playing a mediating role. Moreover, including organic label on packaging moderates this aesthetics effect. Specifically, when an organic label is present, perceived naturalness fails to mediate the effect of aesthetics on perceived healthiness. These findings enrich the literature about effects of product images and expand aesthetics research in packaging field, while also offer insights for optimizing packaging marketing strategies and promoting consumers' healthy decision-making.
Paper Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000438?dgcid=rss_sd_all
Authors: Linfeng Hu, Sainan Wang, Jiehui Zheng, Qianwen Xu
ABSTRACT
Product images on packaging are widespread and essential marketing tools in retailing. Consumers increasingly rely on packaging designs to infer healthiness of food. However, it remains unclear whether the presentation style of food images on packaging influences the perceived healthiness. This study delves into the impact of classical aesthetics design in presenting food images on healthiness judgments, as well as its mechanism and boundary, through five experiments. The results indicate that high classical aesthetic presentation of food images enhances consumers' healthiness perception and purchase intention, with perceived naturalness playing a mediating role. Moreover, including organic label on packaging moderates this aesthetics effect. Specifically, when an organic label is present, perceived naturalness fails to mediate the effect of aesthetics on perceived healthiness. These findings enrich the literature about effects of product images and expand aesthetics research in packaging field, while also offer insights for optimizing packaging marketing strategies and promoting consumers' healthy decision-making.
The Power of Voice: Investigating the Effects of Streamer Voice Characteristics on Sales Performance in Live Streaming E-Commerce
Live streaming e-commerce has transformed online shopping by combining real-time interaction with visual demonstrations, making streamers' performances crucial to sales outcomes. However, the consequences of streamers' interactive voice on consumers' decision remain underexplored. Grounded in dual process theory, this study investigates how emotional vocal cues (pitch and intensity) and informational vocal cues (speech rate) in streamers' voices influence sales performance, and how these effects vary across different product types. We collected real-time data from Douyin, a popular live streaming platform in China, and developed a fixed effects model for analysis. The results indicate that streamers’ voice characteristics are highly persuasive, with pitch and speech rate positively impacting sales performance, while intensity has a negative effect. Additionally, emotional vocal cues are more effective in strengthening purchases for experience products, while informational vocal cues are more effective for search products. This research enhances the understanding of voice characteristics in live streaming e-commerce, offering actionable insights for streamers and platform managers to optimize sales strategies.
Live streaming e-commerce has transformed online shopping by combining real-time interaction with visual demonstrations, making streamers' performances crucial to sales outcomes. However, the consequences of streamers' interactive voice on consumers' decision remain underexplored. Grounded in dual process theory, this study investigates how emotional vocal cues (pitch and intensity) and informational vocal cues (speech rate) in streamers' voices influence sales performance, and how these effects vary across different product types. We collected real-time data from Douyin, a popular live streaming platform in China, and developed a fixed effects model for analysis. The results indicate that streamers’ voice characteristics are highly persuasive, with pitch and speech rate positively impacting sales performance, while intensity has a negative effect. Additionally, emotional vocal cues are more effective in strengthening purchases for experience products, while informational vocal cues are more effective for search products. This research enhances the understanding of voice characteristics in live streaming e-commerce, offering actionable insights for streamers and platform managers to optimize sales strategies.
An Algorithmic Marketing Approach to Analyzing Consumer Well-Being: Incorporating Psychological Factors in Customer Loyalty
In recent years, there has been growing interest in consumer well-being in marketing research. This study examines psychological loyalty, which connects corporate profits with consumer well-being, and proposes an algorithmic marketing approach to analyze survey data from the Matsuya Ginza Department Store to identify specific variables that impact consumer well-being. To clarify the structure between each variable and consumer well-being, we considered various gradient boosting machine learning models, which emphasize classification accuracy for qualitative data, and constructed an ensemble learning model. We also conducted clustering on Matsuya Ginza customers, analyzed the variables that significantly contribute to consumer well-being in different clusters, and developed specific measures to improve products and services. Furthermore, using SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) and ICE (Individual Conditional Expectation), we conducted instance-level analysis to show to what extent consumer well-being tends to increase or decrease in relation to important variables for each instance.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in consumer well-being in marketing research. This study examines psychological loyalty, which connects corporate profits with consumer well-being, and proposes an algorithmic marketing approach to analyze survey data from the Matsuya Ginza Department Store to identify specific variables that impact consumer well-being. To clarify the structure between each variable and consumer well-being, we considered various gradient boosting machine learning models, which emphasize classification accuracy for qualitative data, and constructed an ensemble learning model. We also conducted clustering on Matsuya Ginza customers, analyzed the variables that significantly contribute to consumer well-being in different clusters, and developed specific measures to improve products and services. Furthermore, using SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) and ICE (Individual Conditional Expectation), we conducted instance-level analysis to show to what extent consumer well-being tends to increase or decrease in relation to important variables for each instance.