Understanding Consumer Reactions to Assortment Unavailability
Understanding Consumer Reactions to Assortment Unavailability
Understanding Consumer Reactions to Assortment Unavailability
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW<br />
1.1 Introduction and thesis content<br />
“Product not available!” Any regular grocery shopper will be familiar with the annoying<br />
situation in which his or her preferred product is not available at the moment (s)he wants <strong>to</strong> buy<br />
it. Shopper research even shows that the unavailability of products is one of the most significant<br />
annoyances for grocery shoppers. For example, the grocery shopper study ConsumentenTrends<br />
2005 (EFMI and CBL 2005) reports several irritations experienced by regular visi<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong><br />
supermarkets and lists 2005’s six most important as follows:<br />
1. Long waiting time at the check-out line.<br />
2. Items not available due <strong>to</strong> assortment reductions.<br />
3. Res<strong>to</strong>cking shelves when the s<strong>to</strong>re is open.<br />
4. Out-of-s<strong>to</strong>cks of regular items.<br />
5. No good opportunity <strong>to</strong> pack products when the check-out is passed.<br />
6. Out-of-s<strong>to</strong>cks of promotional items.<br />
If we analyze this list, we find three consumer annoyances related <strong>to</strong> the unavailability of an<br />
assortment that, at least from the consumer’s perspective, should have been available: numbers 4<br />
and 6 report annoyances with regard <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>ck-outs, and assortment reductions evidently<br />
constitute a major annoyance for consumers (number 2). This list highlights that assortment<br />
unavailability in general is an important fac<strong>to</strong>r in many grocery shoppers’ dissatisfaction.<br />
Research on consumer reactions <strong>to</strong> assortment unavailability can help retailers gain insight in<strong>to</strong><br />
the effects of assortment unavailability and understand the variables related <strong>to</strong> these effects.<br />
<strong>Assortment</strong> unavailability can be temporary (e.g., part of the day or a few days) or permanent<br />
(a few months or longer) in nature. A temporary unavailability is signaled by an open space in<br />
the shelf, in which case consumers generally know that the product normally is available and will<br />
be available again soon (e.g., their next shopping trip). Compared with temporary assortment<br />
unavailability, a permanent unavailability is more difficult <strong>to</strong> signal for consumers, because the<br />
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