Consideration set formation
Shoppers first narrow to a small set they will seriously evaluate, adding an option only if it seems worth the effort of evaluating.
Where it applies
Four of the eight page areas.
How to use it
Three ways to put it to work.
- Design each result tile to earn a place in the shopper’s set.
- Put decision-relevant attributes on the tile.
- Provide a shortlist or compare tray to hold the set.
What the research found
A model of how shoppers narrow their choices, not a measured effect.
In a simulated online store, decision aids led shoppers to smaller but better shortlists.
Hauser and Wernerfelt modelled consideration as weighing the cost of evaluating another option against the benefit; it is an analytical model, not a measured effect. In Häubl and Trifts's simulated online store, decision aids led shoppers to smaller but better consideration sets.
Key research
Three sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Hauser & Wernerfelt (1990) An Evaluation Cost Model of Consideration Sets J. Consumer Research Read the source Häubl & Trifts (2000) Consumer Decision Making in Online Shopping Environments: The Effects of Interactive Decision Aids Marketing Science Read the source Hauser (2014) Consideration-set heuristics J. Business Research Read the source