Space Matters: The Effect of Product Spacing on Consumer Variety-Seeking

Abstract

Across four studies spanning various product categories and involving both hypothetical and real choices with monetary incentives, we demonstrate that consumers tend to seek greater variety when products are spaced closely together rather than farther apart. This effect arises from shifts in attentional focus: close spacing promotes a holistic view, diverting attention from individual options and leading to less defined preferences. Consequently, consumers rely more on variety-seeking heuristics. We validate this mechanism through product memory tests, preference certainty assessments, and the direct manipulation of participants’ attention. Specifically, participants exposed to closely spaced products better recalled the overall arrangement of the choice set, while those viewing widely spaced products remembered individual options more accurately. Additionally, expressed preferences were less distinct and less predictive of choices in the close- versus wide-spacing condition. Notably, directing attention to individual products mitigated this effect. Our findings offer practical implications for consumers seeking to manage excessive variety-seeking, while providing valuable insights for practitioners on how to strategically use product spacing to influence consumer choices and enhance profitability.