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Transferring, Eliminating, or Both? The Strategic Impact of Resale Platforms and Consumer Learning on Coping with Consumer Uncertainty.

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Τίτλος: Transferring, Eliminating, or Both? The Strategic Impact of Resale Platforms and Consumer Learning on Coping with Consumer Uncertainty.
Συγγραφείς: Li, Yongjian1 (AUTHOR) liyongjian@nankai.edu.cn, Wang, Yusheng1 (AUTHOR) 623843406@qq.com, Luo, Xin2 (AUTHOR) xinluo@unm.edu, Bai, Xuanming3 (AUTHOR) xmbai@tju.edu.cn
Πηγή: Information Systems Research (INFORMS). Jun2026, Vol. 37 Issue 2, p886-903. 18p.
Θεματικοί όροι: *Digital platforms, *Consumer behavior, *Consumers, *Profitability, *Industrial costs, *Business planning, *Commercial products, *Consumer expertise
Περίληψη: For sellers of experience goods, consumer uncertainty threatens profits. Resale platforms and enhanced consumer learning are popular tools to manage this uncertainty, but their impacts differ significantly and require tailored strategies. Our research reveals critical nuances overlooked by prior studies: the resale platform's negative effect is often underestimated because of its indirect influence on consumer waiting behavior, whereas consumer learning can harm sellers of high-cost goods when consumers are impatient. Critically, the profitability and environmental outcomes depend on production costs and consumer patience. Encouraging consumer learning creates a profit-environment win–win with patient consumers, whereas resale platforms excel with impatient consumers and high costs. Combining both mechanisms benefits sellers only when consumers are patient and costs are moderate ("1+1>1 "). Key strategic imperatives emerge: (i) resale behavior: encourage selectively (beneficial mainly for high-cost goods), minimizing resale discounts; (ii) learning behavior: nurture consumer patience and avoid rushing purchases, especially for premium goods; and (iii) product upgrades: avoid frequent, minor updates. Sellers must move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches, aligning their uncertainty management (resale, learning, upgrades) with product economics and consumer patience to optimize profits and sustainability. The sales of experience goods, whose characteristics can only be ascertained by purchasing and using, are woven with the strategic waiting behavior of consumers, which is often driven by their perceived risk and limited knowledge regarding the applicability of the goods. This cautious approach may potentially lead to diminished profits for sellers. However, the rapid growth of the online platform economy has spawned a remarkable reversal of this phenomenon. Resale platforms have emerged as a strategic outlet for consumers to transfer their risk burdens to others, whereas the elimination of geographical distance has enabled them to glean insights into goods' applicability through online peer reviews, thereby effectively mitigating their perceived risks. Despite these transformative developments, there remains a noticeable dearth of research centering on the nuanced impacts of resale platforms and consumer learning on both consumer behavior and seller strategies. To effectively address this gap, we develop a two-stage analytical model that clarifies both the intricate conflict and interaction between resale platforms and consumer learning. Specifically, our analysis delves into the direct and indirect impacts of resale platforms on seller profits, also highlighting the effects of consumer learning. We identify the prioritization of different approaches (i.e., resale platform versus consumer learning), which essentially hinges on consumer patience and production costs. Additionally, our investigation uncovers the mutually beneficial circumstances for both profits and the environment. We further explore the dual nature of integrating resale platforms with consumer learning. Finally, our research presents sellers' strategic responses across three key aspects: resale platforms, consumers, and products. History: Hsing Kenneth Cheng, Senior Editor; Zhengrui Jiang, Associate Editor. Funding: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [Grants 72132007, 72261147707, and 72402159]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.0659. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Information Systems Research (INFORMS) is the property of INFORMS: Institute for Operations Research & the Management Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Transferring, Eliminating, or Both? The Strategic Impact of Resale Platforms and Consumer Learning on Coping with Consumer Uncertainty.
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  Data: For sellers of experience goods, consumer uncertainty threatens profits. Resale platforms and enhanced consumer learning are popular tools to manage this uncertainty, but their impacts differ significantly and require tailored strategies. Our research reveals critical nuances overlooked by prior studies: the resale platform's negative effect is often underestimated because of its indirect influence on consumer waiting behavior, whereas consumer learning can harm sellers of high-cost goods when consumers are impatient. Critically, the profitability and environmental outcomes depend on production costs and consumer patience. Encouraging consumer learning creates a profit-environment win–win with patient consumers, whereas resale platforms excel with impatient consumers and high costs. Combining both mechanisms benefits sellers only when consumers are patient and costs are moderate ("1+1>1 "). Key strategic imperatives emerge: (i) resale behavior: encourage selectively (beneficial mainly for high-cost goods), minimizing resale discounts; (ii) learning behavior: nurture consumer patience and avoid rushing purchases, especially for premium goods; and (iii) product upgrades: avoid frequent, minor updates. Sellers must move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches, aligning their uncertainty management (resale, learning, upgrades) with product economics and consumer patience to optimize profits and sustainability. The sales of experience goods, whose characteristics can only be ascertained by purchasing and using, are woven with the strategic waiting behavior of consumers, which is often driven by their perceived risk and limited knowledge regarding the applicability of the goods. This cautious approach may potentially lead to diminished profits for sellers. However, the rapid growth of the online platform economy has spawned a remarkable reversal of this phenomenon. Resale platforms have emerged as a strategic outlet for consumers to transfer their risk burdens to others, whereas the elimination of geographical distance has enabled them to glean insights into goods' applicability through online peer reviews, thereby effectively mitigating their perceived risks. Despite these transformative developments, there remains a noticeable dearth of research centering on the nuanced impacts of resale platforms and consumer learning on both consumer behavior and seller strategies. To effectively address this gap, we develop a two-stage analytical model that clarifies both the intricate conflict and interaction between resale platforms and consumer learning. Specifically, our analysis delves into the direct and indirect impacts of resale platforms on seller profits, also highlighting the effects of consumer learning. We identify the prioritization of different approaches (i.e., resale platform versus consumer learning), which essentially hinges on consumer patience and production costs. Additionally, our investigation uncovers the mutually beneficial circumstances for both profits and the environment. We further explore the dual nature of integrating resale platforms with consumer learning. Finally, our research presents sellers' strategic responses across three key aspects: resale platforms, consumers, and products. History: Hsing Kenneth Cheng, Senior Editor; Zhengrui Jiang, Associate Editor. Funding: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [Grants 72132007, 72261147707, and 72402159]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.0659. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Information Systems Research (INFORMS) is the property of INFORMS: Institute for Operations Research & the Management Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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