Themes of Issue 01/2009

Ravi Dhar, Joel Huber and Uzma Khan

New research on consumer behavior throws light on what creates a mindset that leads customers to keep on shopping. What underlies shopping momentum is a shift from a deliberation mindset to one of implementation. In the deliberation mindset, the potential customer evaluates the pros and cons of a purchase, rather in the manner suggested by the theory of utility maximization. However, once they have shifted to the implementation mindset, they are focused on purchasing – and this is just what they do. When they make the shift to an implementation mindset, they will carry on shopping without engaging their evaluative capacity until something intervenes to break the momentum.