As Good as New: Embarrassment and Consumers’ Preference for Used versus New Products

The condition of a product (i.e., being used or new) plays an important role in consumer judgment and purchase decisions, yet this phenomenon has been relatively under-researched. Using an experimental approach, this study investigates the effect of embarrassment on choice of used and new products. We demonstrate that due to the embarrassment associated with buying used products, Chinese consumers are more likely than their US counterparts to choose new products over used ones. Furthermore, we find that this difference can be attenuated by reframing used products positively as antiques. Our findings enrich the theoretical understanding of consumer behavior across cultures, offer important managerial implications, and provide novel insights into future research directions.