Consumer Decision Making Regarding a “Green” Everyday Product

Abstract

One of the techniques marketers use to convert low‐involvement products into high‐involvement ones is adding an important product feature. A case in point is the common practice of adding a “green” or environmentally friendly product feature to an everyday product, something which is often assumed to elevate consumer involvement in the choice of the product. However, there is a lack of research investigating whether adding such a “green” product attribute actually makes any difference to how consumers make choices. Does the way in which consumers make decisions about groceries change when both “green” and conventional alternatives are available? Does it make them deliberate more or do they just develop another, simple choice heuristic? Based on observation and follow‐up interviews of consumers at the milk counter in two supermarkets which stock both organic (a “green” attribute) and conventional milk, it is concluded that, rather than changing the way consumers make decisions when buying this type of product, the availability of a “green” alternative seems to make “green” consumers develop a new, simple choice heuristic that allows them to do their shopping as effortless and time‐efficient as consumers buying conventional products.

A Social Norms Intervention Going Wrong: Boomerang Effects from Descriptive Norms Information

“…Shoppers primarily seem to comprehend the overall theme seafood-a product category which then indeed gets primed, increasing the likelihood that they will indeed buy some. At least in the present studies, texts and labels promoting sustainability were apparently not processed sufficiently to produce the intended effect, and instead, consumers relied on their usual choice heuristics for this product group [55].…”

“…As in-store decisions are characterized by time pressure and the use of simple heuristics [55], expecting consumers to read a relatively long text might not be realistic in this type of environment.…”

“…Supermarket choice-making is also characterized by high speed and the use of simple choice heuristics. Studies found that people make purchase decisions in less than a second [54] and use simple rules of thumb, like price, taste, and former choices [55]. This hints towards an environment in which peripheral cognitive processing might happen [56].…”

Development of a Conceptual Model in International Sport Tourism: Exploring Pre-and Post- Consumption Factors

“…Consumers who are making a repeat purchase spend little time and effort in the decision making process and are often content with a satisfactory solution rather than making the optimal choice (Thøgersen, Jørgensen, & Sandager, 2012).…”

Sustainable Consumption in the Luxury Industry: Towards a New Paradigm in China’s High-End Demand

“…Consumers trust sustainable brands because they think of sustainable features in the product (Thogersen et al, 2012) and, in many cases, they are ready to pay a premium price for a product marked with credible sustainable labelling provided they understand clearly the economic and ecological beneits of the product and are able to trace these beneits to tangible evidence (Owusu and Anifori, 2013;Xia and Zeng, 2006;Xu et al, 2012). An increasing number of consumers tend to trust their own consciousness about health and the environment, and the certiications and labelling of the product constituents in making decisions for purchasing (Kai et al, 2013).…”