Original or discounted amount? The mechanism of impact of group-buying bill amount display and peer presence on consumer repurchase intention in restaurants

Abstract

Group-buying coupons have increasingly become a crucial marketing measure for restaurants to attract and maintain consumer flow. Compared to redemption in-store, stimulating consumer repurchase intention is more important for long-term restaurant development. Accordingly, this study, grounded in social influence theory, explores the mechanisms by which restaurant group-buying bill amount display and peer presence affect consumer repurchase intention through two scenario experiments. The findings are as follows: (1) When peers are present, displaying the original amount on the bill enhances consumer repurchase intention more effectively; when peers are absent, displaying the discounted amount has a stronger effect. Meanwhile, intimacy level strengthens the effect of peer presence, thereby further enhancing repurchase intention. (2) Self-esteem plays a mediating role in the aforementioned relationships. (3) Consumer self-construal moderates these relationships. These results not only enrich the theoretical understanding of restaurant group-buying but also offer practical insights for enhancing post-group-buying marketing effectiveness.