Incorporating Consumer Product Categorizations into Shelf Layout Design

Abstract

Using one field and two online lab experiments, this article shows that congruency between shelf layout and a consumer’s internal product categorization increases the perceived variety of the assortment and reduces the perceived complexity of the shelf layout. These assortment perceptions, in turn, heighten purchase intention and satisfaction toward the chosen item. Results are robust across internal categorization measurements (planogram design vs. sorting tasks), congruency measures (distance- vs. matching-based), and products (biscuits vs. yogurt snacks). In the field study, familiarity—operationalized as either consumption frequency or subjective product knowledge—increased the overall effect of categorization congruency and strengthened its pathway through perceived variety (vs. the one through complexity). The authors show how their research can be exploited to improve shelf layouts by optimizing the external categorization. They demonstrate the value of a unifying Bayesian framework for research on behavioral decision making that uses the same set of posterior parameter draws for parameter inference, moderated mediation analysis, and optimization under uncertainty.

Because it is brand new! Recency heuristic for product innovativeness evaluation

“…We demonstrate that recency information plays a role as an evaluative heuristic for assessing innovativeness for those who lack the capability of detecting novelty. This is in line with the proposition that consumers with knowledge make use of 'intrinsic' attributes in F I G U R E 3 Perceived product innovativeness as a function of book genre, prior knowledge, and the level of recency in Study 3. evaluating product quality (e.g., product familiarity, Park & Lessig, 1981;Rooderkerk & Lehmann, 2021). On the other hand, consumers with a low level of prior knowledge are not able to interpret and use intrinsic product information and thereby rely on extrinsic information (Mattila & Wirtz, 2001).…”

Field experiments in marketing research: a systematic methodological review

“…Marketing journals could use a variety of strategies, such as inviting special issues that are devoted to field experiments from a particular location, to encourage research from underrepresented geographic areas. Furthermore, very little field research has included participants’ demographic information (Bies et al , 2021; Rooderkerk and Lehmann, 2021; Eisingerich et al , 2019). This is not necessarily surprising, as participants are unaware that they are being observed and it is difficult for researchers to record accurate demographic information without revealing their presence.…”

In-store assortment training to the distribution manpower of dairy companies using gamification

“…The customer's in-store behavior can also be affected by the assortment (Ruiz-Real et al, 2020). Despite this, few studies have been conducted in the optimal assortment of shelves of a product group in retail stores (Rooderkerk & Lehmann, 2020). Some studies have already focused on the placement of the shelves, which have examined the optimal location of the refrigerator and shelves.…”

“…The location of the refrigerator in the corridors and beside the entry and exit point (Berkhout, 2019), and the proximity of the shelves and the refrigerator to each other (Diehl et al, 2015) are among such studies. Some research has investigated the effect of the shelves' assortment on consumers' behavior, such as store switching (Gázquez-Abad et al, 2021), consumers' expectation for popular products on a particular shelf (Valenzuela et al, 2013), brand attention and appreciation (Aurier & Mejía, 2020), and perceived variety and complexity (Mejía et al, 2021;Rooderkerk & Lehmann, 2020). Having understood the importance of above results, in-store assortment should be taken more seriously by retailers.…”