Navigating choice overload

: the role of consumer expertise in sun protector purchases across online and offline retail channels

Abstract

The retail industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades, driven by the spread of digital technologies and the growing range of product alternatives available. This thesis explores the phenomenon of choice overload, which happens when consumers face an overwhelming number of options, within the context of sun protection products. Specifically, the research examines how consumer expertise influences the impact of choice overload across both online and offline retail channel. Through a combination of a focus group, a pre-test, and a main experiment, this study investigates the effect that choice overload has on purchase intention, and how this is moderated by the level of consumer expertise and the retail channel chosen for the purchase. The findings contribute to a better understanding of consumer behavior by highlighting the conditions under which choice overload is either exacerbated or mitigated. This research offers practical insights for retailers on optimizing their product assortments according to the retail channel, to better align with consumer preferences, ultimately enhancing purchase intention.

Date of Award	17 Oct 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Romeiro (Supervisor)