What is the impact of European packaging harmonization on consumer purchase intention in the DIY sector?

Details

Supervisors

Jupsin, Thierry

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enEvery day, European brands face the same dilemma: should they sell one identical packaging across Europe, or adapt it for each country? Harmonizing reduces costs and simplifies operations. Adapting speaks more directly to local consumers. But what do consumers actually prefer, and does it really change their willingness to buy? This Master's thesis addresses this question in the DIY sector, using a mixed methods design. It combines a case study of a real packaging harmonization project in a Western European adhesives company with a between-subjects online experiment on European consumers. Three hypotheses were tested: the main effect of packaging type on purchase intention, the moderating role of cultural attachment, and the relative weight of visual versus verbal packaging elements. The results are counterintuitive. When respondents evaluate a single packaging (harmonized or adapted), no significant difference in purchase intention is observed. But when both versions are placed side by side, a clear majority prefers the adapted one, an effect consistent with the joint versus separate evaluation framework (Hsee et al., 1999). This gap matters for managers. In physical retail, harmonization appears safe. On e-commerce platforms like Amazon, where products from different countries sit next to each other, the risk is much higher. The thesis contributes to the packaging literature by highlighting the central role of the evaluation context, and offers concrete recommendations for companies considering a harmonization strategy.