The spillover effect of prepaid coupon purchase on complementary product purchase intention

Promotion holds a significant position in marketing and is a vital strategy for sales growth. According to previous research, promotional activities aimed at core products can increase sales of other products. However, the specific attributes of these products that are affected by such promotions remain unclear. To address this issue, the present research establishes a conceptual framework based on mental accounting theory and construal level theory. It argues that prepaid coupon purchase behavior for promotional products positively influences complementary product purchase intention, with this effect mediated by psychological ownership and process simulation. Across three studies, consistent findings indicate that coupon purchases for promotional products exhibit spillover effects on the purchases of complementary products among product combinations featuring varying degrees of complementarity. This paper offers new insights into the research on coupon, prepayment, conditional promotions, psychological theories, and complementary product consumption, providing practical implications for retailers, brands, online shopping platforms, governments, and educators following their participation in promotions to better understand and accommodate the evolving needs of consumers.