Effect of product recommendation type and focal goal importance on consumer purchase intention

Purpose: The product recommendation type is attracting attention from both the retail and academic communities. However, there is no consensus on the effectiveness of set recommendation versus separate recommendation. This research investigates the interaction effect of product recommendation type and consumer's focal goal importance on initial product purchase intention and cross-buying intention. Design/methodology/approach: Four studies were used to examine the hypotheses, including three experimental studies with general participants and a field study with student participants. Findings/results: An empirical analysis confirms an interaction relationship between product recommendation style and focal goal importance on enhancing purchase. When focal goal importance is high, set recommendation has a more positive effect on purchase intention. When focal goal importance is low, the separate recommendation has a more positive effect on purchase intention. Practical implications: Research findings provide guidance for sellers on which product recommendation type to use with different customers. Sellers should be flexible in determining different product recommendation types through different consumers' focal goals. Originality/value: Findings reveal the congruency effect between product recommendation type and consumer's focal goal importance, which indicates an interaction effect on initial product purchase intention and cross-buying intention. In addition, this research expands the application of regulatory focus theory and analyses the underlying mechanism by exploring the role of perceived incompleteness and cognitive load.