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Consumer search: What can we learn from pre-purchase data?

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  • Honka, Elisabeth
  • Seiler, Stephan
  • Ursu, Raluca

Abstract

Researchers are increasingly able to observe consumers’ behavior prior to a purchase, such as their navigation through a store or website and the products they consider. Such pre-purchase (or search) data can be valuable to researchers in a variety of ways: as an additional source of information to estimate consumer preferences, to understand how firms can influence the search process through marketing mix variables, and to analyze how limited information about products affects equilibrium market outcomes. We provide an overview of these three research areas with a particular emphasis on online and offline retailing.

Suggested Citation

  • Honka, Elisabeth & Seiler, Stephan & Ursu, Raluca, 2024. "Consumer search: What can we learn from pre-purchase data?," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 114-129.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jouret:v:100:y:2024:i:1:p:114-129
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretai.2024.02.003
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumer Search; Limited Information; Consideration Sets; Retailing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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