 When Do Large Product Assortments Benefit Consumers? An Information-Processing PerspectiveD. Eric Boyd and Kenneth D. Bahn Journal of Retailing, 2009, vol. 85, issue 3, 288-297 Abstract: Retailers frequently attempt to attract shoppers by offering large product assortments. The prevailing literature on assortments has recognized that although large assortments benefit consumers by providing many choices, wide choices also challenge consumers to use extensive cognitive processes in making purchase decisions. Therefore when retailers offer extensive product assortments, they may also be adding cognitive costs to consumers—costs that may diminish the assortment's attractiveness. This research draws on the literature related to the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) of information processing and the literature related to optimal stimulation level (OSL) in testing for the presence of two possible processing benefits provided by large assortments: their capacity to aid consumers in achieving decision-making certainty and their ability to provide consumers with desired stimulation. In two experiments, we find support for both models of assortment evaluations and demonstrate that purchase context and individual traits can lead consumers to prefer large assortments from a processing perspective. Keywords: Decision making; Heuristic-Systematic Model; Optimal stimulation level; Assortment (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jouret:v:85:y:2009:i:3:p:288-297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretai.2009.05.008 Access Statistics for this article Journal of Retailing is currently edited by A. Roggeveen More articles in Journal of Retailing from Elsevier |
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