The Glossy Premium: Effects of Product Glossiness on Consumer Judgments of Firsthand and Secondhand Products

Consumers demonstrate a preference for products with glossy surfaces. This research examines how and why product glossiness influences consumers’ product preference in the firsthand versus secondhand markets. Six studies demonstrate that consumers generally prefer products with a glossy, as opposed to a matte, surface in both firsthand and secondhand markets. The preference for product glossiness is driven by the heightened recency (pristineness) perception of glossy products in the firsthand (secondhand) market. In addition, in line with these mechanisms, the positive effect of product glossiness on consumer preference is reversed for time-enhanced products (i.e., product quality and value improve with age) in the firsthand market and diminished when diagnostic prior product usage information is available to consumers in the secondhand market. Findings in this research contribute to a deeper understanding of visual marketing and product newness by verifying how visual glossiness induces two different interpretations of product newness in the firsthand and secondhand markets. This research offers practical implications for product design and presentation in the firsthand market, as well as refurbishing and resale strategies in the secondhand market, suggesting ways to communicate a consistent brand image and enhance product preference more effectively.