Morning deals make me feel smart: Consumer evaluations of online sales promotions differ by time of day

Abstract

Technological advances have allowed companies to reach consumers 24 h a day, but a challenge in making use of consumers’ time of day exists. The present research investigates the effect of time of day on consumer evaluations of bonus pack and free gift promotions. Results from four studies reveal that consumers perceive bonus packs as more favorable than free gifts in the morning but not in the afternoon. Consumers’ self-perception as smart shoppers is identified as the psychological process explaining this discrepancy. A new perspective in understanding consumers’ dynamic time-bound evaluations of sales promotion and managerial implications for designing, targeting, and communicating nonmonetary promotions are discussed.