Abstract
- E-commerce has been steadily growing year after year, as have the numbers of canceled and returned online orders. Retailers must understand what makes customers second-guess their purchase decision during the gamma phase, and “how” and “why” customers justify their online retail purchase decisions. Purchase justification enables retailers to both enhance positive customer sentiments towards their purchase and maximize profitability in the online context. Utilizing customer survey field data, we illustrate how the combination of evaluative tangibility and anticipatory imagination helps customers justify online hedonic purchases, resulting in both satisfaction and delight. Results indicate that delight but not satisfaction drive share of wallet. We also explore the impact of customers’ previous shopping experiences. Implications for retailer managers and researchers are discussed.