Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Usage Frequency Considerations in Purchase Decisions

Decisions are mostly influenced by what is in sight. Because usage frequency (i.e., how frequently the consumer expects to use the product) is generally not in sight in the purchase environment—and it is unlikely to be considered spontaneously—consumers may overlook it even when contemplating purchases of a durable product (for which usage frequency is arguably an important purchase criterion). Four studies tested this hypothesis. In the first...