Are scarce products always more attractive? The interaction of different types of scarcity signals with products
Heribert Gierl and Verena Huettl compared types of scarcity signal in two survey studies. Scarcity created by limited supply did more for products suited to conspicuous consumption, bought partly to be seen, while scarcity created by high demand did more for products that were not. The outcome was attitudes towards the products, not purchases, so the finding describes appeal rather than sales.
Heribert Gierl and Verena Huettl compared types of scarcity signal in two survey studies. Scarcity created by limited supply did more for products suited to conspicuous consumption, bought partly to be seen, while scarcity created by high demand did more for products that were not. The outcome was attitudes towards the products, not purchases, so the finding describes appeal rather than sales.
Written from the verified research record for article 58, 2026-10-08.
What our sources record
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suitability for conspicuous consumption.' International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27(3), 225-235. doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2010.02.002. Two survey studies; attitudes, not purchases.