Arranged to Distraction: How Categorizing Products With Complements Versus Substitutes Alters the Experience of Product Choice

Although much is known about how substitute products impact consumers’ decision processes, little is known about how product displays involving complementary items affect decisions. If consumers shop for a single target product, complementary items are objectively irrelevant. Yet, our research finds that organizing products with complements distracts consumers, increasing decision time and perceived effort. This distraction occurs across different physical arrangements and is not due to detailed examination of complementary products. At the same time, complementary categorizations are perceived as attractive and inviting, suggesting that their negative effects may be offset by creating an engaging, affectively positive experience.

Citation:

Erica van Herpen, Kristin Diehl, and Cait Poynor (2009) ,"Arranged to Distraction: How Categorizing Products With Complements Versus Substitutes Alters the Experience of Product Choice", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, eds. Sridhar Samu, Rajiv Vaidyanathan, and Dipankar Chakravarti, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 243-246.