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Consumer Preference for Food Bundles under Cognitive Load: A Grocery Shopping Experiment
Kathryn A Carroll1, Anya Samek2, Lydia Zepeda3
1Department of Nutrition and Family Sciences, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, USA.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2022
Summary
Consumers under cognitive load are more likely to choose food bundles, simplifying grocery shopping. This strategy benefits shoppers by reducing decision-making effort, especially for fresh produce.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Behavior
- Marketing Strategy
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Product bundling is a prevalent retail strategy, particularly in the grocery sector for items like fresh produce.
- Bundles may be preferred due to reduced cognitive effort in consumer decision-making.
- Previous research has not experimentally tested the impact of cognitive load on food bundle preference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cognitive load influences consumer preference for food bundles.
- To determine if consumers select bundles more frequently when their cognitive resources are constrained.
Main Methods:
- A controlled grocery shopping experiment was conducted with 250 consumers in a laboratory setting.
- Participants were divided into groups with and without induced cognitive load.
- Bundle selection rates were compared between the groups.
Main Results:
- Consumers experiencing cognitive load demonstrated a higher likelihood of selecting food bundles, even without discounts.
- Perceived complementarity of bundled items and individual hunger levels also influenced selection.
- The findings suggest cognitive load significantly impacts bundle choice.
Conclusions:
- Food bundles can simplify the grocery shopping experience by reducing cognitive effort.
- This simplification may particularly benefit consumers who find food shopping burdensome.
- Marketing strategies incorporating bundles can leverage cognitive load effects for increased product selection.
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