Absolute number heuristic in discount frames

PurposeThis study examines whether the absolute number heuristic holds for consumers' responses to higher-priced versus lower-priced products. Further, it explores whether the different construal level as induced from presence or absence of a product image can be a boundary condition for the absolute number heuristic.Design/methodology/approachFour experiments were conducted. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were presented with a discount either in the amount off or percent off format, for products whose prices were 99 Yuan, 100 Yuan and 101 Yuan, respectively. In Experiment 3, the prices were changed to be 90 Yuan, 900 Yuan and 9,000 Yuan, respectively. In Experiment 4, the prices were 48 Yuan and 480 Yuan, respectively.FindingsExperiment 1 showed neither main effect of discount frame nor interaction between price level and discount frame for all dependent variables (i.e. willingness to pay or WTP, purchase intention, attitude and perceived value), thus posing a challenge to the absolute number heuristic. Notably, the lack of main effect and interaction for purchase intention, attitude and perceived value were replicated in Experiments 2, 3 and 4. With WTP being the dependent variable, however, Experiment 4 showed that the effect of discount frame was dependent on price level.Research limitations/implicationsThe current findings pose a challenge to the absolute number heuristic and contribute to the literature by revealing that the joint effects of price level and discount frame can be moderated by whether an ad contains the product image.Practical implicationsIt is necessary for marketers to realize that inclusion of a product image may eliminate the effect of discount frame. Specifically, in terms of promoting a relatively expensive product, in order for the percent off discount to enhance the amount of money that consumers are willing to pay, an ad without a product image may be more favorable.Originality/valueThe current study is the first to challenge the absolute number heuristic by showing that the interaction between price level and discount frame is contingent on whether an ad contains the product image.