It Takes One to Buy but Two to Say Goodbye: Asymmetrical Preference for Others' Involvement in Product Decisions Across the Customer Journey.

This article investigates how consumers' preferences for making product decisions alone versus jointly with household partners differ between the acquisition and disposal stages of the customer decision journey. Across ten preregistered studies, the research finds that consumers are more likely to involve household partners in disposal decisions than in acquisition decisions due to heightened perceptions of potentially infringing on a partner's rights and a greater desire for clarity about the partner's valuation of the product at disposal. This acquisition–disposal asymmetry is moderated by three boundary conditions: when the product cannot be used by the partner, when decisions involve nonhousehold members instead of household partners, and when the product's price exceeds the household's typical budgeted spending. The findings also reveal that the preference for joint decision-making at disposal can lead to delays or deferrals in disposal decisions, contributing to household product overaccumulation and offering implications for marketers and consumer well-being.