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The effect of perceived scarcity on strengthening the attitude–behavior relation for sustainable luxury products

Jaewoo Park (Faculty of Commerce, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan)
Hyo Jin Eom (Institute of Governance Design, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
Charles Spence (Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 7 January 2022

Issue publication date: 25 March 2022

2656

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether, and how, perceived product scarcity strengthens the attitude–behavior relation in the case of sustainable luxury products.

Design/methodology/approach

Three online studies were conducted to examine the moderating role of perceived product scarcity on the attitude–willingness to pay (WTP) relationship in the case of sustainable luxury products. A preliminary study (n = 208) examined the existence of an attitude–WTP gap toward a sustainable luxury product (i.e. a bag). Study 1 (n = 171) investigated the moderating effect of perceived scarcity induced by a limited quantity message on the relationship between consumer attitude and the WTP for a sustainable luxury product (i.e. a pair of shoes). Study 2 (n = 558) replicated these findings using a different product category (i.e. a wallet) while controlling for demographic variables and examined the moderating role of consumer characteristics on the scarcity effect.

Findings

Consumers’ perceived scarcity for sustainable luxury products positively moderated the relationship between product attitudes and their WTP for the products. The moderating effect of perceived scarcity was significant for consumers regardless of their tendency toward socially responsible consumption and their preference for product innovativeness. Meanwhile, the scarcity effect was influenced by the consumers’ attitude toward the brand of sustainable products.

Practical implications

This research provides empirical evidence for marketers with clear managerial implications concerning how to immediately promote consumers’ acceptance of sustainable luxury products.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the role of scarcity strategy on strengthening the attitude–behavior relation for sustainable luxury products.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Authors thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. This work was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, grant number: 19H00601, 19H01541, 20K01999).

Citation

Park, J., Eom, H.J. and Spence, C. (2022), "The effect of perceived scarcity on strengthening the attitude–behavior relation for sustainable luxury products", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 469-483. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2020-3091

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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