Consumer confusion moderates the inertia–purchase intention relationship

We investigated the moderating effect of consumer confusion on the relationship between inertia and purchase intention. Customers (N = 166) were approached randomly with a request to complete our survey as they finished shopping at a convenience store in Taiwan in August 2014. The results revealed that the purchase intention behavior relied on consumer inertia, which increased when consumers were confused because they were less capable of making rational buying decisions when choosing between retailer brands in the marketplace. In a marketing campaign context, our findings show that substantial differentiation is crucial for convenience store chains to strengthen the belief system and behavioral routines of their customers, thereby helping the convenience stores to strengthen their brand image, build consumer trust, achieve a competitive advantage, and capture a greater share of the market in both the short and long term.