Shopping With a Price Comparison Browser Extension

ABSTRACT In today's digital landscape, online consumers increasingly rely on browser extensions to streamline their bargain‐hunting efforts. These tools facilitate price comparisons both within the same store over time and across multiple stores. Despite the growing prevalence of this behavior, prior research has not explored its implications. This study, leveraging data from an online survey and an experiment, uncovers that the use of between‐store extensions significantly enhances consumers' perception of cost savings, driven by internal attributions. By examining the interplay between browser extensions and online retailing, this research advances price search theory and expands the literature on price comparison dynamics. The findings emphasize the need for online retailers to analyze consumer behavior and develop strategies to optimize visibility through between‐store extensions. Simultaneously, web‐focused companies are encouraged to innovate spatiotemporal shopping extensions that integrate the benefits of within and between‐store searches, catering to the diverse needs of today's online shoppers.