Executive Summary

Marketers are inherently interested in knowing how consumers recognize consumption problems, search for information, choose among alternatives, make purchases, and engage in post-purchase behaviors (Schmidt and Spreng 1996).  One specific topic that has received considerable attention is post-purchase regret (cf. Inman and Zeelenberg 2002; Simonson 1992; Tsiros and Mittal 2000; Zeelenberg and Pieters 1999). Zeelenberg and Pieters (1999, 2004) stress it is experienced after the wrong choice is made and is a result of bad decisions and disconfirmed expectancies.  They also show it can result in store blame, switching behaviors, dissatisfaction and negative word-of-mouth.

Oftentimes, however, a consumer is unable to find needed products or services and a purchase is not made.  The current research examines this phenomenon, which has been documented in the literature, but has received little research attention.  Specifically, this study examines the concept of search regret, a post-search dissonance that results from an unsuccessful pre-purchase search during which the consumer is unable to locate the product and purchases nothing or is forced to purchase a substitute.

First, a pilot study was employed to explore the experience of search regret and to discover any antecedents and consequences that may be associated with it.  The results of the pilot study revealed that consumers do experience search regret following an unsuccessful search.  Further, antecedents to search regret were also discovered.  A majority of the respondents experienced negative emotions and expended considerable effort during the search.  Respondents also experienced regret when the search strategies they used in the search varied from strategies that they typically use to search for products.  Several consequences of search regret also emerged from the pilot study.  Respondents noted a need to assign blame for the unsuccessful search.  The types of blame were characterized as passive coping strategies.  Respondents tended to blame themselves, the store, or the type of product.  Respondents also focused on more productive ways of dealing with the unsuccessful search by noting active coping strategies.  Here respondents focused on ways to change their future behavior by using different search strategies, such as visiting different stores or contacting expert sources.

Based on the findings from the pilot study, a conceptual model that depicted the linkages between search regret and its antecedents and consequences was developed.  To test the model and its hypothesized relationships, a questionnaire was developed that contained items to measure the constructs.  Respondents were instructed to think about a time when they looked for a product but could not find it.  A total of 245 questionnaires were used in the analysis.  Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.  The results revealed that the level of effort exerted and the experience of negative emotions during the search positively influenced search regret.  Search regret, in turn, had a positive impact on respondents blaming the store, themselves, and others.  Finally, regret also positively influenced respondents’ future search strategies (active coping).

The study’s results have implications for both marketing theory and practice.  First, the findings revealed the existence of the search regret construct—that consumers can experience regret following an unsuccessful search.  In addition, antecedents and consequences of search regret were also identified.  The study’s findings are also managerially relevant in that there are possible negative consequences (blaming the store) when shoppers cannot locate products they need.  The possibility that shoppers may change their future search strategies may leave certain retailers out of the consideration set during future searches.  Therefore, retailers are encouraged to engage in efforts to ease the search experience by providing information, service, and product availability.  Minimizing stock-outs seems to be very important, as is training salespeople to go out of their way to help customers find needed products.  Retailers are encouraged to make use of computerized inventory databases to locate products for customers.

Future research efforts should focus on identifying additional antecedents and consequences of search regret.   Other antecedents might include initial expectations relating to the outcome of the shopping experience or different types of shopping motives.  Other consequences that could be investigated include those that go beyond the passive and active coping strategies examined here.  For example, outcomes that could be potentially harmful to the retailer, such as negative word of mouth, dissatisfaction, and intentions to switch or avoid the retailer. could be investigated.