ABSTRACT

Lack of product availability is cited in the literature as a major factor that prevents consumers from purchasing sustainable products. Yet, little empirical research exists to document the potential behavioral consequences that result from lack of product availability, such as when consumers intend to purchase sustainable products but none are immediately available (see intention-behavior gap). Based on a survey of 630 consumers, this study examines how product availability affects consumer purchase intention for sustainable products within a behavior-intention model. The alternative mode of product acquisition, online rental, is offered to consumers to assess its moderating effect on purchase intention when the product is not physically available at the point-of-sale (POS). Using an experimental research design, we find that consumer purchase intention is positively affected by product availability. Additionally, rental is found to be an ineffective moderator, as consumers prefer traditional ownership over partial ownership when considering the purchase of sustainable products.

摘要

文献中将缺乏产品可用性作为阻止消费者购买可持续产品的主要因素。然而，几乎没有实证研究来记录由于缺乏产品可用性而导致的潜在行为后果，例如当消费者打算购买可持续产品但没有立即可用的时候（参见意图-行为差距）。基于对 630 名消费者的调查，本研究在行为意向模型中检验了产品可用性如何影响消费者对可持续产品的购买意向。当产品在销售点 (POS) 没有实际可用时，向消费者提供另一种产品获取模式，在线租赁，以评估其对购买意愿的调节作用。使用实验研究设计，我们发现消费者购买意愿受到产品可用性的正向影响。此外，租赁被认为是一种无效的调节剂，因为在考虑购买可持续产品时，消费者更喜欢传统所有权而不是部分所有权。