The impact of the display of a repairability score on consumers’ purchase intent : A case study on laptops

The planned obsolescence phenomenon has been a part of the economic landscape of our society for over than 50 years. This phenomenon is especially present in the area of consumer electronics, as the fast-paced consumption and switch between electronic devices to remain up-to-date on the latest technologies are in conflict with the depletion of natural resources. However, this phenomenon has recently started to meet different forms of resistance. Indeed, various counter-movements have emerged to provide alternative solutions to the current consumption habits, such as the repairability of products. This research investigated the influence of displaying a newly established repairability score on laptops on consumers’ purchase intent. First, a review of the literature on the subjects of planned obsolescence, the repairability of products and consumer behavior and decision-making defined the theoretical framework for our study. Then, several stimuli taking the form of fictive advertisements for a laptop have been created to support our fieldwork. These stimuli have been presented to ten respondents during individual face-to-face interviews with the aim of improving their quality and uncovering meaningful insights about the repairability score concept. Finally, these reviewed stimuli were integrated in an online questionnaire where 279 participants were given the opportunity to share their thoughts about the advertisement and provide relevant information regarding several factors influencing their purchase intent of the laptop displayed. The main finding from the quantitative analyses is that the purchase intention for the laptop presented in the fictive advertisement was significantly lower in the presence of a repairability logo than without any logo being displayed. This finding is not in line with the results suggested by other research studies. However, the results regarding the influence of the financial and functional risks associated to the purchase of the laptop have enabled to support this unexpected finding. On top of that, the information uncovered through the qualitative interviews allowed to better understand this effect, by highlighting a poor level of comprehension and trust towards the repairability score. The combination of the qualitative and quantitative approaches allowed for a deeper understanding of consumers’ attitudes towards this new repairability score and have opened up the way for further research on this topical subject.