Consumers' Perceptions of the Assortment Offered in a Grocery Category: The Impact of Item Reduction
Susan Broniarczyk, Wayne Hoyer and Leigh McAlister ask how shoppers form their view of a grocery category's assortment when items are taken away. Grocery retailers had been told to cut the number of items they carry but feared that fewer items would lower shoppers' perceptions of the assortment and make them less likely to choose the store. Two studies tested two cues, whether a favourite product is still on the shelf and how much shelf space the category keeps. The authors conclude that retailers might be able to make substantive reductions without harming assortment perceptions or store choice, as long as only low-preference items are removed and category space is held constant. The work concerns perceptions in grocery categories, not sales over time.
Susan Broniarczyk, Wayne Hoyer and Leigh McAlister ask how shoppers form their view of a grocery category's assortment when items are taken away. Grocery retailers had been told to cut the number of items they carry but feared that fewer items would lower shoppers' perceptions of the assortment and make them less likely to choose the store. Two studies tested two cues, whether a favourite product is still on the shelf and how much shelf space the category keeps. The authors conclude that retailers might be able to make substantive reductions without harming assortment perceptions or store choice, as long as only low-preference items are removed and category space is held constant. The work concerns perceptions in grocery categories, not sales over time.
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Broniarczyk, S. M., Hoyer, W. D., & McAlister, L. (1998). Consumers’ Perceptions of the Assortment Offered in a Grocery Category: The Impact of Item Reduction. Journal of Marketing Research, 35(2), 166-176. doi:10.1177/002224379803500203