The Impact of Sales Volume and Limited Quantity on Intertemporal Choice in an Online Consumption Context

In the context of online consumption, consumers are often faced with a decision between buying now or later. This study examines intertemporal choice by conducting two mixed experimental designs on a total of 206 college students to investigate the impact of combining sales volume and limited quantity on online consumption decisions. Experiment 1 revealed that under unlimited conditions, the same option with high sales volume was relatively more attractive and participants were more inclined to choose it, leading to a herding effect. However, under limited conditions, there was no scarcity effect. Experiment 2 built upon the findings of Experiment 1 and added dynamic change in sales volume. It was found that even with dynamic changes in sales volume, high sales volumes could still lead to a herding effect. In the case of unlimited conditions, dynamic changes in sales offset the effect of sales volume on intertemporal choice. Sales volume and limited quantity are important factors that influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. Therefore, this study combines sales volume and limited quantity and adds dynamic changes in sales to explore individuals’ intertemporal choices in online consumption situations. The findings of the study have significant implications for both merchants and consumers.