The Effects of Product Scarcity and Consumer's Need for Uniqueness on Purchase Intention

• Main Authors: Ying-Yin Wu, 吳瑛茵
• Other Authors: Wann-Yih Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/88501040573304552016

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 國際企業研究所碩博士班 === 97 === Scarcity strategies are employed by marketers in an attempt to influence consumer’s decision-making. Famous brands like NIKE, Apple, and Swatch have designed and produced limited-edition products specifically to stress the unavailability of products, thereby intensifying the desire for owning the products (Brannon & McCabe, 2001). Therefore, as the market environments become more and more dynamic and complex, it is essential for marketers to correctly deliver scarcity messages to consumers and then motivate their purchase intentions. However, scarcity effects were examined with very limited aspects, very rare studies investigated simultaneously the impacts of multiple mediating and moderating variables that sufficiently explains the value-enhancement of scarcity strategies. For example, based on the need for uniqueness theory, consumers’ need for uniqueness can be viewed as a moderator of scarcity effects on valuation process. The conceptual framework of Lynn’s S-E-D model and Monroe and Krishnan’s price-perceived quality model also try to explain the scarcity effects from the perspectives of expensive-quality-value mechanisms. However, none of the previous studies have integrated these theories into a more comprehensive model to explain the phenomenon of scarcity. This study intends to fill this research gap by integrating relevant theories and developing a more comprehensive research framework to fully understand how scarcity affects consumers’ value perceptions and purchase intents as well as the moderating role of need for uniqueness. Based on the purpose of this study, the hypotheses are developed to examine. Questionnaires are used to collect data, and 285 completed questionnaires are put into analysis. Statistical methods, including factor analysis, reliability tests, hierarchical regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and structure equation model (SEM) are used for further examination. According to the results of this study, several results are made as follows: (1) The effects of scarcity have significantly positive impacts on perceived value and purchase intention through mediating mechanisms-assumed expensiveness, perceived quality, perceived sacrifice, and perceived uniqueness; (2) The effect of perceived quality has no negative impact on perceived sacrifice; (3) Perceived uniqueness has a significantly positive impact on perceived sacrifice; (4) The moderating effect of need for uniqueness has a significant impact on the relationship between perceived uniqueness and perceived value.