When Shopping Regret Goes Online: How Negative Reviews Are Born — and How They Spread

What is it about?

When consumers make impulsive purchases online and feel regret afterward, they often turn to negative reviews to process those emotions. But not all regret works the same way. This paper distinguishes between two types: process regret (dissatisfaction with how the purchase was made) and outcome regret (dissatisfaction with the product itself). Two studies were conducted. The first used a survey of Amazon shoppers to test which type of regret drives the intention to write negative reviews. The second was an experiment examining how readers of negative reviews respond differently depending on the type of regret expressed and who was blamed — the buyer or the seller. Results showed that outcome regret is the key driver of negative review creation, though process regret amplifies it. From the reader's side, outcome-focused reviews are more persuasive and useful, while reviews where the buyer blames themselves are surprisingly more persuasive than those blaming the seller.

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Photo by Osama Madlom on Unsplash

Photo by Osama Madlom on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Negative online reviews can severely damage a brand's reputation and reduce future sales. Understanding precisely which emotions trigger these reviews — and which types of reviews are most damaging — gives companies a practical roadmap for managing e-commerce regret. Businesses can design shopping experiences that reduce process regret (for example, through better product visualization tools like AR) and prioritize responding quickly to outcome-focused reviews. This research also helps future buyers become more critical consumers of negative eWOM content.

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