Making scarcity believable: How consumers interpret scarcity cues based on authenticity

Purpose This study aims to examine how different types of scarcity influence consumers’ purchase intentions by activating their authenticity schema. It further investigates the interaction effect between scarcity type (natural scarcity vs. constructed scarcity) and product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Design/methodology/approach Grounded in schema theory, this study tests the research hypotheses through two online scenario-based experiments. The experiments manipulate scarcity type (natural scarcity vs. constructed scarcity) and product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian), and measure consumers’ perceived authenticity and purchase intention. Findings The results show that, compared with natural scarcity, constructed scarcity significantly enhances consumers’ perceived authenticity and purchase intention. Furthermore, when firms employ natural scarcity appeals, consumers show a stronger preference for utilitarian products, whereas constructed scarcity appeals lead to a stronger preference for hedonic products. Practical implications In implementing scarcity-based marketing strategies, firms may benefit from emphasizing natural scarcity cues rather than relying solely on constructed scarcity. Specifically, highlighting natural scarcity appears to be more effective for utilitarian products, whereas deliberately constructing scarcity may be more effective for hedonic products. Originality/value By identifying authenticity as a key underlying mechanism linking scarcity to consumer responses, this study extends the theoretical scope of scarcity research and highlights the moderating role of product type. These findings provide offers new insights into how firms can more effectively leverage scarcity cues to enhance interactive marketing performance.