ABSTRACT
Consumers use attribute cues, as established by retailers, to determine their evaluations of a product or a service (Grewal and Compeau 2006). Such cues can be embedded in the store environment, related to the merchandise, influenced by price and other retail tactics, or communicated through messages posted on websites, flyers, and circulars or in advertising. The cues help customers evaluate the available offerings and determine whether to make a purchase or search for more information. The volume of information provided by such cues also has exploded with the growth of the Internet and social media: Manufacturers steadily post offers on social media, and retailers share their own promotions as well as reiterating the manufacturer offers. Thus, cascading information cues (Rapp et al. 2013) can percolate among consumers, especially through social media, and affect their shopping perceptions and behavior.
