Use it or lose it: purchase acceleration effects of time‐limited promotions

Abstract While researchers have examined the impact of retail promotions on purchase acceleration in the past, the distinction between time‐limited and time‐independent promotions has not been made in this context. In this paper, the authors report findings from two studies. In Study 1, it was found that promotions of short duration (time‐limited), such as store coupons, accelerate purchases, whereas promotions of longer duration (time‐independent), such as manufacturer's coupons, have no such impact. In Study 2, the impact of semantic cues was examined highlighting the time‐limited nature of promotions (such as ‘10 Hours Only Sale’), impact on purchase willingness, intent to search further for deals and attitudes towards the deal. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.