"Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda": A Conceptual Examination of the Sources of Postpurchase Regret

Regret is a key negative emotion consumers attempt to avoid while making decisions. Marketing researchers agree that, in addition to assessments of satisfaction, regret better explains postchoice valuation. Extant regret research in marketing literature has examined regret arising from the perspective of either the product choice or from the decision-making process that led to the purchase decision. This theoretical study examines the notion of regret arising simultaneously from both the product purchased and the decision-making process. A conceptual model is developed indicating two key moderators likely to impact the recognition and evaluation processes of the sources of regret.