Do Wish Lists Work?

Abstract

Wish lists and other purchase delay devices have benefits for consumers and online retailers alike, but they also have some potential drawbacks. We show that wish lists are less likely to result in an eventual purchase. This is due to the way consumers consider product attributes differently when they are initially considering a purchase versus revisiting a product that has already been placed onto a list. Consumers also tend to use less effortful decision processes in their preliminary consideration than they do when reconsidering an item. Online retailers may need strategies to help reestablish the initial desirability of wish-listed items.

Keywords: marketing, consumer behavior, ecommerce, digital, decision making