Sales Promotion Scepticism

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring consumer scepticism toward a specific sales promotion — the degree to which the promotion is perceived as deceptive, gimmicky, and designed to extract payment through hidden means. Items assess beliefs that the customer will ultimately pay in ways they are unaware of, that the promotion is misleading, that it is a marketing trick, and that there are ulterior motives behind the offer. The scale captures negative inferential responses to promotional framing and is applicable to research on consumer scepticism, price promotions, and retail marketing.

Representative items

• The customers are probably paying for this _____ in a way they don't know.
• This promotion is deceiving.
• This promotion is a sales gimmick.

Citation

Koo, Jieun and Kwanho Suk (2020). Is $0 better than free? Consumer response to '$0' versus 'free' framing of a free promotion. Journal of Retailing, 96(3), 383–396.