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Overcoming information overload in retail environments: Imagination and sales promotion in a wine context

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  • Ketron, Seth
  • Spears, Nancy
  • Dai, Bo

Abstract

Information overload is a common problem in retail environments. Reducing information in a retail environment is not always feasible or desirable given the plethora of products and extent of limitations on retailers in terms of merchandising and display decisions. Therefore, retailers need other ways of overcoming information overload than simply reducing the amount of information. However, extant research is unsettled with respect to arguments in favor of and against adverse effects of information overload. To enhance our understanding of these issues, the present research presents two studies that investigate the moderating role of consumer decision processing approaches in an information overload retail space. The findings reveal that the consumer imagination offers a more efficient processing route, circumventing the frustration associated with information overload and leading to enhanced consumer outcomes compared to the less efficient consideration route. Further, heuristic processing triggered by sales promotions in high information retail environments lead to piqued arousal and enhanced consumer imagination, ultimately bolstering consumer responses to the product. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ketron, Seth & Spears, Nancy & Dai, Bo, 2016. "Overcoming information overload in retail environments: Imagination and sales promotion in a wine context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 23-32.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:33:y:2016:i:c:p:23-32
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.07.017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Kim, Jungkeun & Kim, Jeong Hyun & Kim, Changju & Park, Jooyoung, 2023. "Decisions with ChatGPT: Reexamining choice overload in ChatGPT recommendations," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    4. Peter Gordon Roetzel, 2019. "Information overload in the information age: a review of the literature from business administration, business psychology, and related disciplines with a bibliometric approach and framework developmen," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(2), pages 479-522, December.
    5. Reynolds-McIlnay, Ryann & Morrin, Maureen, 2019. "Increasing Shopper Trust in Retailer Technological Interfaces via Auditory Confirmation," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 128-142.
    6. Ketron, Seth & Spears, Nancy, 2019. "Sounds like a heuristic! Investigating the effect of sound-symbolic correspondences between store names and sizes on consumer willingness-to-pay," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 285-292.
    7. Schruff-Lim, Eva-Maria & Van Loo, Ellen J. & van Kleef, Ellen & van Trijp, Hans C.M., 2023. "Turning FOP nutrition labels into action: A systematic review of label+ interventions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. Sharma, Manu & Kaushal, Deepak & Joshi, Sudhanshu, 2023. "Adverse effect of social media on generation Z user's behavior: Government information support as a moderating variable," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    9. Anninou, Ioanna & Foxall, Gordon R., 2019. "The reinforcing and aversive consequences of customer experience. The role of consumer confusion," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 139-151.
    10. Ketron, Seth, 2018. "Perceived Product Sizes in Visually Complex Environments," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 154-166.
    11. Bermes, Alena, 2021. "Information overload and fake news sharing: A transactional stress perspective exploring the mitigating role of consumers’ resilience during COVID-19," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    12. Bambauer-Sachse, Silke & Heinzle, Priska, 2018. "Comparative advertising for goods versus services: Effects of different types of product attributes through consumer reactance and activation on consumer response," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 82-90.

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