Relative importance of motivation, store patronage, and marketing efforts in driving cross-buying behaviors

This study identifies the extent to which cross-buying behaviors can be attributed to consumer motives, store patronage, and marketing efforts. Their explanatory power is empirically examined using a panel survey and purchase history data for fashion products of 3,052 customers patronizing an online shopping mall. Motivation explains merely 4% of the variation in the number of product categories purchased during the study period, surpassed by the variation explained by store patronage (8%) and marketing efforts (38%). These results suggest that, while motivation may be a necessary antecedent for cross-buying, it is insufficient as a ‘standalone’ driver, as behavior is largely driven by customers’ responses to marketing efforts.