Does the presence of variety matter for bundle evaluation?

We examined consumers’ perceptions of, and responses to, variety in product bundles in 3 studies with Chinese university students aged between 17 and 29 years. In Study 1 (117 participants) we found that variety (vs. nonvariety) bundles were more attractive and more likely to be purchased, and this effect was robust across different variety formats. In Study 2 (89 participants) the mediating role of perceived hedonic benefits was supported, that is, participants responded to the level of variety in product bundles as they tried to maximize their hedonic benefit from the consumption. In Study 3 (74 participants) we further explored the moderating role of consumption goal and found that participants were willing to forgo an additional quantity to have variety, especially when their consumption goal was hedonic rather than utilitarian. Theoretical implications and practical implications for marketers are discussed.