Understanding Consumer Reactions to Assortment Unavailability

of assortment reduction responses and thereby can generalize the findings to a variety of product
groups. In conjunction, the laboratory experiment enables us to improve the internal validity of
the assortment reduction effects found through our field experiments. Furthermore, the field
experiment (Chapter 4) adds to the external validity of our findings.
Second, most studies on the effects of assortment reduction focus on either behavioral
or affective influences. With our study in Chapter 3, we study both types of effects
simultaneously.
Third, we develop conceptual models, which include a broad variety of explanatory
variables, that explain part of the variety in consumer responses to assortment reductions
(Chapter 3) and out-of-stock situations (Chapter 2). Therefore, our models offer excellent
starting points for other researchers in the field of assortment unavailability.
Fourth, we decompose the category sales effects of an assortment reduction into short-
and long-term effects. In Chapter 4, we present a natural experiment and show that the short- and
long-term effects of assortment reductions may differ significantly. Previous studies on
assortment reductions have not made this important distinction (e.g., Boatwright and Nunes
2001; Broniarczyk, Hoyer, and McAlister 1998). Therefore, this study adds important findings to
the literature on the short- and long-term effects of retail mix variables.
Fifth, this thesis is the first study that demonstrates that a real-life assortment reduction
attracts new category buyers (Chapter 4). With this interesting finding, we support the notion that
“too much” choice in a category can lead to category ignorance among customers. We further
support this finding with an another study that shows that a reduced assortment actually can
improve consumers’ perceived search efficiency and overall assortment satisfaction.
1.6 Managerial relevance
As we noted, assortment unavailability is a major shopping irritant for consumers that can cause
direct category sales losses if the consumer decides not to switch to an alternative the retailer
offers within that category. It also may lead to category sales losses in other categories if the
consumer decides to switch stores. Hence, the managerial relevance of this thesis is clear.
Managers must understand how consumers react when they cannot buy their preferred products
and what antecedents drive consumers’ behavior in these circumstances.
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