Too many people, too many choices? How social crowding shapes consumer preferences for assortment size

Purpose This study aims to examine how social crowding influences individuals' assortment size preferences and to identify its boundary conditions, thereby providing a theoretical foundations and practical guidance for firms in determining product assortments and effectively promoting existing choice sets. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments and one supplemental experiment were conducted using diverse methods, including a field study, a laboratory experiment, and two online surveys. Social crowding was manipulated through real-life scenarios, images, and videos. Both utilitarian and hedonic products were used as stimuli to test the main effect and the mediating role of ego depletion. Additionally, scenarios of purchasing for oneself versus purchasing for others were constructed to explore the moderating role of purchase type (material vs. experiential). Findings Results showed that social crowding increased individuals' preference for smaller assortments (vs. larger assortments), and this effect was mediated by ego depletion. Furthermore, purchase type moderated this effect: in material purchase conditions, social crowding led individuals to prefer smaller assortments, whereas in experiential purchase conditions, social crowding increased their preference for larger assortments. Originality/value This study advances understanding of the effect of social crowding on assortment size preferences by emphasizing the perceptible subjective spatial perspective, extending prior studies that largely focused on the an objective spatial perspective. In addition to theoretical contributions, the study provides actionable implications for assortment management, store environment design, and personalized recommendation systems. These insights enable retailers and digital platforms to flexibly adapt to varying crowding conditions and better align with consumer needs across diverse consumption contexts.