There are four common types of consumer behavior: habitual buying, complex buying, variety-seeking, and dissonance-reducing buying (American Marketing Association, 2024). Variety-seeking behavior is when consumers switch between different products, services, categories, or brands (Zhang, 2022). These products/services are often saturated in their segments, consisting of many brands and options.
Perhaps the most prominent example is snacks. There is a large selection of brand names and product variations. General Mills, Mars, Keebler, Hostess, and Utz are among these companies. You may find yourself walking down an aisle in the supermarket that provides some of these products.
There are a few motivating factors for variety-seeking behavior; however, Kahn (1995) claims that three primary motivators are stimulation, the future presence of uncertainty, and external situations. Dr. Henry Assael, a renowned professor at NYU, presents a popular matrix that baselines consumer buying behavior (Jacquerye, 2020). According to Dr. Assael’s model, variety-seeking behavior has low involvement and high differences (Jacquerye, 2020).
So the question is, what motivates people to engage in variety-seeking behavior? The optimal stimulation theory provides one approach (Helm & Landschulze (2009). This theory claims that people prefer to have an optimal level of stimulation. Optimal levels are subjective. Here’s a diagram to break it down further:
The general gist of this theory is that people seek variety based on the level of risk they are willing to take. At all levels, folks seek to satisfy a purpose, perhaps a taste, a feel, or an experience. How does your product/service stand out from the wide variety that meets this purpose? How can you provide and perhaps package your product/service to keep folks interested and engaged and motivate them to be recurring customers? Helm and Landschulze (2009) explain that variety seekers enjoy switching between products within a brand, higher risk-takers are willing to switch between brands, and curiosity-motivated individuals may be more explorative.
Tostitos, a popular tortilla brand, makes its chips in numerous shapes and sizes and offers many dip options. Tostitos diversifies its products to satisfy variety-seeking behavior within its brand. When Tostitos creates a new product, it uses a completely different color with the same fonts and branding. The change captures folks who are higher risk takers and willing to try other brands, more organic variety-seekers who tend to switch within the same brands, and more curious, exploratory individuals.
We discussed how variety-seeking behavior occurs when purchasing products. What about services? Consumers seek change, diversity, and freshness that provide different forms of gratification and satisfaction (Zhang, 2022; Seetharaman & Che, 2009; Sevilla et al., 2016). Let’s keep the supermarket theme going. Supermarkets, department stores, and home improvement retailers provide a marketplace (service) where folks can get a wide range of goods. Customers may visit different stores to gain access to different varieties. Other examples include online marketplaces, massage parlors, sporting goods, tourism services (Zhang 2022), and business services. Do you offer a variety of goods to satisfy variety-seekers in your marketplace?
As you create your product and service portfolio, consider consumer behaviors and how you can navigate them to maximize your revenue. Here are some suggestions. Keep things interesting for consumers who will engage in variety-seeking behavior. Offer seasonal products and services. Diversify your offering. Group offerings into packages with a variety of products and services. Did you know that companies pay for supermarket shelf space and that eye level is perhaps the most costly? Consider placement when showcasing or marketing these goods. Be creative!
American Marketing Association (2024). Consumer behavior. American Marketing Association. https://www.ama.org/topics/consumer-behavior/
Helm, R., & Landschulze, S. (2009). Optimal stimulation level theory, exploratory consumer behaviour and product adoption: an analysis of underlying structures across product categories. Review of Managerial Science, 3(1), 41–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-009-0024-7
Jacquerye, F. (2020). Understanding luxury brand equity through consumer purchase decision .Medium.https://medium.com/woodshores/understanding-luxury-brand-equity-through-consumer-purchase-decision-5959577df596
Kahn, B. E. (1995). Consumer variety-seeking among goods and services: An integrative review. Journal of retailing and consumer services, 2(3), 139-148.
Seetharaman, P. B., & Che, H. (2009). Price competition in markets with consumer variety seeking. Marketing Science (Providence, R.I.), 28(3), 516–525. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1080.0434
Sevilla, J., Zhang, J., & Kahn, B. E. (2016). Anticipation of future variety reduces satiation from current experiences. Journal of Marketing Research, 53(6), 954–968. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0360
Zhang, Y. (2022). Variety-Seeking Behavior in Consumption: A literature review and future research directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 874444–874444. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.874444
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