The impact of the first light purchase on purchase behavior: a replication across categories and households

Niels Holtrop (), Kathleen Cleeren (), Kelly Geyskens () and Peter C. Verhoef ()
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Niels Holtrop: Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics
Kathleen Cleeren: KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business
Kelly Geyskens: Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics
Peter C. Verhoef: University of Groningen, Faculty of Economics and Business

Marketing Letters, 2026, vol. 37, issue 1, No 11, 12 pages

Abstract: Abstract In this study, we replicate (Cleeren et al., 2016 International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33, 896–906), who examined the short- and long-term effects of a first light purchase on subsequent purchase behavior for a single product category and extend their analysis across 26 product categories while considering potential moderators. We find that Cleeren et al.’s (2016) results replicate only partially. That is, after the first light purchase, households purchase more volume and caloric content in the short run. While we still find that volume increases in the long run, caloric content turns out to decrease in the long run – especially for high-equity brands and among households that intend to eat healthily and purchase more frequently. Discounted products show short-term volume and caloric content increases, but no long-term changes. Similar findings apply to products from healthier categories, although these show a decrease in short-term caloric content. Higher (versus lower) income households do not exhibit short-term behavioral changes but decrease their long-term purchase volume. In contrast, larger (versus smaller) households exhibit decreased short-term volume and calories purchased, but do not change long-term behavior.

Keywords: Low-fat; Low-sugar; Light products; Overpurchasing; Household panel data; Long-run impact; Structural break analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/s11002-025-09807-0

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