Off-The-Shelf or Tailored to Your Needs: Is Customization Always Superior?

Abstract Customers are increasingly buying package offerings that consist of a combination of goods and/or services. They often have the choice of purchasing either an available standardized, off-the-shelf package or a customized offering designed to match their specific preferences. The position espoused in many books on one-to-one marketing and customer relationship management is that everyone is attracted to the latter. However, recent research is starting to challenge the universal appeal of mass customization. This project investigates if the preference for either a customized or standardized offer depends on whether they are experts or rather inexperienced in the product category. It further sheds light on repurchasing after buying standardized or customized products and if retailer reputation makes a difference.