Does the presence of variety matter for bundle evaluation?

Keywords:
variety bundles, product bundles, perceived hedonic benefit, consumption goal, utilitarian goal, variety-seeking behavior
Abstract

We examined consumers’ perceptions of, and responses to, variety in product bundles in 3 studies with Chinese university students aged between 17 and 29 years. In Study 1 (117 participants) we found that variety (vs. nonvariety) bundles were more attractive and more likely to be purchased, and this effect was robust across different variety formats. In Study 2 (89 participants) the mediating role of perceived hedonic benefits was supported, that is, participants responded to the level of variety in product bundles as they tried to maximize their hedonic benefit from the consumption. In Study 3 (74 participants) we further explored the moderating role of consumption goal and found that participants were willing to forgo an additional quantity to have variety, especially when their consumption goal was hedonic rather than utilitarian. Theoretical implications and practical implications for marketers are discussed.

Author Biographies
  1. Xia Wang, Capital University of Economics and Business
    College of Business Administration
  2. Ziwei Wang, Capital University of Economics and Business
    College of Business Administration
References
Published
2019-01-12
Section
Articles
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