Abstract
Product return behavior and factors that contribute to product returns are an under-researched area, despite significant importance to manufacturers and retailers. The current research attempts to fill the gap by focusing on two factors that shape consumer purchase behavior: (1) whether purchases are planned or unplanned, and (2) whether hedonic or utilitarian motivations drive purchases. The findings show that purchase plans and buying motivations have distinctive and interactive impacts on pre-purchase concerns, self-estimated likelihood of returning purchases, and purchase intentions with or without return policies. When hedonic motivation drives purchases, unplanned (vs. planned) purchases lead to higher return concerns, higher return likelihood, and lower buying intentions. When utilitarian motivation drives purchases, planned and unplanned purchases have comparable return concerns, return likelihood, and buying intentions. This interaction effect on buying intentions dissipates when a lenient return policy is offered.
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Notes
We recognize that utilitarian purchases may elicit pre-purchase return concerns and perceived risks in some situations. However, our main propositions and the focus of Studies 1A and 1B concern the relative effects of shopping plans on return concerns and return likelihood between utilitarian and hedonic purchases.
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Seo, J.Y., Yoon, S. & Vangelova, M. Shopping plans, buying motivations, and return policies: impacts on product returns and purchase likelihoods. Mark Lett 27, 645–659 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-015-9381-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-015-9381-y