When and why products presented in unbalanced positions foster sustainable behaviors

While products are typically displayed in visually balanced and stable positions, many retail and advertising contexts feature products in subtly unbalanced or unstable ways. Despite the prevalence of such displays, little is known about how product unbalance influences consumer behavior. Drawing on research on product display, compensatory consumption, and sustainability, this research proposes that displaying products in an unbalanced position reduces consumers’ sense of comfort. Consequently, consumers engage in sustainable behaviors, such as choosing eco-friendly products or donating to pro-environmental causes, as a compensatory means to restore that comfort. Four experiments and one follow-up study (laboratory, field, and online) support this mechanism. The results also show that this effect occurs when the product is mass-market but not when it is luxury. Implications for marketing theory and practice are discussed along with possible avenues for future research.