A study published in Journal of Retailing found that consumers seek a balance between uniqueness and conformity when making choices, as seen in iPhone memory option selections, sushi sales, and trick-or-treating candy choices, regardless of age.
Research reveals that individuals have different mindsets depending on their consumption goals, affecting how they perceive risk, product uniqueness, and purchase intentions. Marketers can improve sales by aligning selling cues with product types and customer inclinations.
Research by Mississippi State University Professors Carol Esmark Jones and Adam Farmer found that packaging shapes, colors, and placement in stores can influence purchase intentions. Displaying products on endcaps or using discounts can mitigate the negative effects of embarrassment.
Researchers analyzed data from the US and South Korea to find that family franchisees generate lower sales per employee due to a focus on noneconomic goals. Franchisees with better benefits, such as health insurance, exhibit higher per capita sales figures.
A study found that allowing unethical customers to open multiple accounts benefits both the retailer and ethical customers, increasing purchasing power and engagement.
A new study finds that in-store product sampling has both immediate and sustained effects on sales, with smaller stores benefiting more. The model also reveals that repeated sampling for a single product increases returns and expands product categories.
Researchers found that providing real-time cues about sold items and current stock levels can be a viable strategy for offline merchants. Consumers tend to choose products with lower sales and fewer copies remaining in stock. However, when brand familiarity is factored in, the impact of stock level data diminishes.
Researchers found that fast-paced songs stimulate spending, while ballads have little effect, as social density increases. In crowded stores, up-tempo music boosts average spending by 8% and motivates customers to buy more low-priced items.
Research shows that being watched while making sensitive purchases inhibits sales; providing privacy measures like shopping baskets can alleviate this issue. Retailers must balance customer privacy with shoplifting control.
New research published in the Journal of Retailing shows that offline retailers can use online data to identify consumers who value product touch and target them with marketing strategies. By understanding consumers' mental representations of products, retailers can offer free trials and other incentives to boost sales.
The research analyzed 24 branches of a grocery chain in the Northeastern US over 49 weeks, finding that deep discounting is a valid strategy supported by the numbers. Discounts on staple items led to increased traffic but lower sales per transaction, while discounts in fill-in categories resulted in higher margins.
According to research by Cornell's Food and Brand Lab director Brian Wansink, retailers can increase healthy food sales through small, low-cost in-store changes. A health predisposition pyramid suggests that different marketing interventions are more successful with various shopper groups.
A new study found that retail startups that spend more per employee and manage faster inventory turnover are more likely to survive. This is based on data from almost 16,000 small retailers in Portugal, where half of new ventures fail.
Researchers developed a framework to help retailers assess shopper-facing technology, considering factors like intrusiveness, value, and satisfaction. The study found that retailers should prioritize shopper perceptions before measuring potential cost savings and profit enhancements.
Researchers found that deep discounts appeal more to present-oriented people, while future-minded buyers value third-party product quality ratings. The study showed that a combination of quality ratings and discounts generates positive reactions in both groups.
Researchers found that only early adopters benefit from switching to PPS, while MBG becomes a dominant strategy under competition, forcing all retailers to switch to MBGs regardless of their benefits. The study reveals how each retailer responds and reacts to its competitor's adoption of PPS or MBG.
Researchers found that shoppers distracted by multitasking are less successful at completing their shopping task, particularly if they're in a deliberate mindset. This study suggests retailers should reduce stress in the shopping environment to improve customer experience.
Research reveals that consumers use different criteria when buying for themselves versus others, with 'scarcity' cues driving self-purchases and 'popularity' cues influencing gift-buying. Online retailers can tailor promotions to optimize sales by highlighting best-selling products on their website.
Research suggests that darker tones in food packaging are associated with healthier choices, while light tones may be perceived as less tasty. The study tested consumer reactions to packaged products of varying colors, finding that health-conscious individuals were more likely to associate light colors with inferior taste.
A recent meta-analysis found that all three sensory agents affect shoppers, but in different ways. Music is positively related to pleasure and satisfaction, while scent affects arousal, pleasure, and behavioral intentions. Retailers can tailor their environments using these stimuli to increase appeal.
Research by marketing experts found that excessive positive online customer reviews can lead to higher return rates and increased costs for retailers. This is particularly true for products with low prices or from new customers, as it raises expectations and may result in disappointment upon delivery.
A recent study found that visual cues, such as photos of stores or business owners, can reassure wary online shoppers and increase purchases. The research suggests that including these elements can help small retailers overcome the constraints of distance and anonymity in e-commerce.
Research suggests that online product selection leads to increased customer spending, with popular and niche items generating significant revenue for retailers. Customers spend almost 11% more on main offerings and 250% more on hard-to-find niche items compared to catalog shoppers.
A two-and-a-half-year study of UK households found that consumers who start buying groceries online at a particular chain tend to spend more at that chain than elsewhere. Grocery retailers can attract customers to their online channel by offering personalized features and customized promotions.
Researchers found that web panel participants made 17% more purchases and increased cross-buying by 14%. The profit per customer also rose by 36%, demonstrating the economic benefits of these panels.
Researchers Meyer and Shankar develop an analytical model to calculate the optimal price for hybrid bundles, considering factors such as element quality, cost, and scalability. The study finds that retailers can increase profits by pricing services higher when they are less scalable than goods.
A study analyzing 893 targeted coupon promotions found that reward coupons for loyal customers yield higher redemption rates than cross-category discounts. Retailers should promote brands in categories consumers frequently buy and are already purchasing, offering relatively smaller discounts.
A small price provides a comparative evaluation, making the upgrade more attractive to consumers. In studies, participants chose minimally more expensive upgrades over free ones, highlighting the value of token pricing in product sales.
A meta-analytic review found that lenient return policies increase purchases more than they increase returns. Retailers may benefit from creating complex return policies varying along multiple dimensions to balance these concerns.
Digital displays showing price promotions increase sales and time spent shopping in hypermarkets. In contrast, displays with unrelated content have no effect, while small convenience-type stores see decreased sales. Larger, browsing-oriented stores reap the most benefits from digital displays.
Researchers found significant balancing behavior across product categories and consumer health segments. Consumers made tradeoffs on healthy/unhealthy mixes based on priorities, contradicting stated behaviors. Retailers can use this research to promote healthier foods through targeted marketing strategies.
A new study found that salespeople who accurately gauge customers' focus on non-monetary benefits versus price can reduce discounts by an average of $616 per transaction. Correctly perceiving customers' price sensitivity is not easy, as salespeople are easily thrown off by misinterpreted cues.
New research suggests that upscale brands can benefit from cause-related marketing at the point of sale, reducing consumer guilt and increasing sales of luxury products. A study found that customers are more likely to choose premium brands when charity is advertised, suggesting a viable strategy for luxury marketers.
Research by Marketing Professors Derick F. Davis, Rajesh Bagchi, and Lauren G. Block found that alliterative promotional messages facilitate quicker processing, leading to increased sales and preference among consumers. The study also demonstrated that altering message components can boost sales without lowering prices.
A study found that firms expecting increased productivity through partner programs may fail due to feelings of indebtedness, causing suppliers to avoid the supplier. To enhance performance, suppliers should aim to prevent channel partners from feeling indebted and provide benefits creating feelings of gratitude.
A study in the Journal of Retailing found that leveraging distribution strategies can maximize firm performance in emerging markets. The authors propose an econometric model to help firms develop multichannel distribution strategies tailored to these markets.
A new meta-analysis of e-excellence reveals that online businesses need to adjust almost every aspect to local culture, regulatory environment, and industry-specific factors. The study found that the relative importance of quality dimensions varied according to cultural attributes, regulatory environments, and industry contexts.
The article provides a comprehensive overview of marketing channel systems, tracing their evolution from two-party relationships to networks of channels and multiple platforms. Key findings include the impact of globalization, e-commerce technologies, and big data on channel decisions.
The study analyzed sales of soft drinks in southeastern Brazil, finding that mass advertising is less effective in full-service stores, where package size variety is crucial. Brands' channel relationship programs support price increases with no decrease in sales, highlighting the need for tailored marketing strategies.
A new study finds that US consumers prefer to buy meat labeled as originating from the US due to perceptions of safety and taste. However, retailer-provided information about equivalent standards in other countries can increase acceptance of international products.
The study found that mixed reviews are a double-edged sword, hurt or helping product sales depending on critic reviews. Retailers can capitalize on review variability by promoting quality signifiers and understanding niche user needs.
Researchers found that auctions with intense time pressure and social competition lead to higher bids due to emotional arousal. Ascending auctions were more rewarding for participants than descending ones.
The study found that people are harder to convince to choose healthy options than to reject unhealthy ones, especially when it comes to customizable foods like pizza. Retailers can use this insight to design menus that encourage healthier choices while still catering to customers' desires for tasty options.
Researchers found that personalized ads showing only one item from a consumer's browsing history are more effective than those showing all items. Consumers reject ads due to privacy concerns and discomfort with intrusiveness if retailers lack trust with customers.
Researchers found that customers tend to gravitate towards a chain's digital channel for their first online purchases but may drift to other chains once familiar with online shopping. For customer retention and attracting new ones, retailers must offer an equal or better online product assortment than their offline stores.
Research finds that social media and socioeconomic influences drive customer adoption of new sales channels. Marketing campaigns can leverage these influences to promote new brick-and-mortar venues.
Researchers found that mobile shoppers tend to purchase items they've purchased before or from familiar brands, due to limited smartphone screen size. Low spenders also shop more frequently after adopting mobile shopping, leading to larger orders.
Adding physical stores to online retailers led to a net revenue increase of 20% and more frequent purchases, according to recent research. Consumers made more frequent contact with the firm, resulting in improved customer retention.
Research shows that digital movie consumers are highly sensitive to price, but surprisingly, promotions don't cannibalize video-on-demand rentals. Instead, they often increase them, as cross-channel discounts benefit both originating and competing channels.