Opportunities for active stock-out management in online stores: The impact of the stock-out policy on online stock-out reactions |
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Authors: | Els Breugelmans Katia Campo Els Gijsbrechts |
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Affiliation: | a Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Department of Marketing, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands b Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics, Department of Marketing, Catholic University Leuven, Naamsestraat 69, 3000 Leuven, Belgium c Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Department of Marketing, University of Tilburg, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of an online retailer's stock-out policy on consumers’ category purchase and choice decisions. We investigate three different policies: (1) stock-outs are immediately visible and there are no replacement suggestions, (2) stock-outs are only visible after purchase attempts and (3) stock-outs are immediately visible but a replacement item is suggested. Results from an online grocery shopping experiment reveal that the adopted stock-out policy has a significant impact on both decisions. Making stock-outs not immediately visible creates confusion and intensifies the consumer's loss experience, thereby reducing the tendency to buy in the category. Suggesting a replacement item, in contrast, facilitates the substitution decision and slightly reduces the purchase cancellation rate. It also substantially increases the suggested item's choice probability. Yet, this effect disappears when higher-priced - suspicious - items are suggested. Overall, these results indicate that online grocery retailers have an interest in pursuing open and convenience-oriented stock-out policies. |
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Keywords: | Stock-out policy Online stores Consumer purchase decisions |
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