Quantity display optimization in online grocery retailing : how visual aids of quantity presentation increase preference for larger-quantity packs over smaller-quantity packs

Abstract

Online retailing platforms are adopting a variety of practices to present quantities of grocery items on the webpages where consumers make quantity-based purchase decisions. The current research identifies an effective solution based on visual aids—supplementing the numerical information with a corresponding number of visual icons—to promote product packs containing more individual units. Thirteen preregistered and incentive-compatible studies (N = 6,388) demonstrate that our proposed solution of visual aids of quantity presentation shifts consumers’ preferences from smaller-quantity packs toward larger-quantity packs, compared to the numerical presentation of quantity. Demonstrated as robust across different product categories, different quantity comparisons, and different types of visual icons, this effect occurs because visual aids of quantity presentation increase the perceived quantitative difference between two packs, consequently enhancing the relative attractiveness of larger-quantity packs over smaller-quantity packs. Furthermore, the visual aid effect is attenuated when visual icons are less discriminable from each other or require more effort to process. This effect is also weakened when people have greater concerns about bulk buying. This research extends the existing literature by demonstrating that visual aids can even influence people’s perceptions of easy-to-assess quantities. The findings generate novel and important managerial insights into the optimization of quantity presentation practice in online grocery shopping.