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Published in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 5/2022

28-05-2022 | Original Empirical Research

Information search behavior at the post-purchase stage of the customer journey

Authors: Cristiane Pizzutti, Renata Gonçalves, Maura Ferreira

Published in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science | Issue 5/2022

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Abstract

Customer journey models consider information search behavior only at the pre-purchase stage, yet consumers search for information after purchasing. This paper updates customer journey models by integrating two different streams of research—customer journey and post-decision information search (PDIS)—and examining information search as a valuable consumer response and managerial element of the journey. Findings from a multimethod approach, in-depth interviews and a longitudinal survey, reveal that consumers can engage in PDIS in the pre- and post-consumption phases for different reasons such as to maximize the utility of a purchase, reduce choice uncertainty or regret, and/or satisfy curiosity about a purchase and pre-purchase information search behavior. The findings also indicate that consumers prefer customer-initiated touchpoints for PDIS behavior. The importance of PDIS is reinforced by its positive relationships with customer engagement, word-of-mouth and repurchase intentions. This article provides important managerial insights for dealing with PDIS in the customer journey.
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Appendix
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Footnotes
1
Note in Figure 2 that in the first wave we measured previous knowledge and purchase involvement. We do not clearly identify these variables in our exploratory study, yet they are important determinants of information search behavior (Schmidt & Spreng, 1996) and represent the idea that variables from one stage might influence the journey’s subsequent stages. We also measured personality traits that may influence information search behavior in the second wave: maximizing tendencies, need for closure, and need for cognition (Teodorescu et al., 2018). Higher levels of maximizing tendencies and need for cognition could lead to more information search (e.g., Dar-Nimrod et al., 2009; Verplanken et al., 1992). Higher levels of need for closure could decrease information search (Roets & Van Hiel, 2011; Webster & Kruglanski, 1994).
 
2
We also tested involvement and personality traits as antecedents of PDIS. Involvement (βprecon = −.12; p = .10; βpostcon = −.02; p = .59), maximizing tendencies (βprecon = .06; p = .28; βpostcon = .07; p = .15), need for closure (βprecon = −.08; p = .41; βpostcon = .10; p = .11), and need for cognition (βprecon = −.00; p = .99; βpostcon = −.09; p = .12) had no significant correlation with PDIS. Demographic variables (i.e., age, education and income) and characteristics of the purchase (i.e., price and hedonic value) had no correlation with PDIS in any phase, either.
 
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Metadata
Title
Information search behavior at the post-purchase stage of the customer journey
Authors
Cristiane Pizzutti
Renata Gonçalves
Maura Ferreira
Publication date
28-05-2022
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science / Issue 5/2022
Print ISSN: 0092-0703
Electronic ISSN: 1552-7824
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00864-9

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