How Product Arrangement and Quantity Influence Consumer's Intention: The Role of Disliking Disorderliness and Scarcity Effects

Abstract

Previous research claimed that disgust and contamination fears mediated the relationship between touch and purchase intention. Disorganized product display used as a contamination cue and a limited quantity of product used as a cue that the product has been more touched. Contrary to that, severalstudies showed that peopledid not like messiness itself, and limited product quantity could be a scarcity cue that increased the positive perception of the product. This research aimed to study the relationship between buying intention and product arrangement as well as product quantity. Using 2 (product arrangement: organized vs. disorganized) x 2 (product quantity: fully-stocked vs. oneproduct) between subjects' experimental design,it was found that 'the perception that product has been contaminated' and 'the feelings of dislike towardmessiness' variables mediate the relationship between product arrangement and purchase intention. Furthermore,the relationship between product quantity and purchase intention mediated by the level of perception that the product is in high demand, while the perception that the product has been more touched does not mediate the relationship.