Reference price research in marketing: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Reference price is a key input in deciding product/service prices by organizations and has a significant influence on consumer purchase decisions. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of reference pricing literature using bibliometric analysis and offers specific research questions for future research in this domain.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 309 articles published between 1977 and 2021, the study conducts bibliographic coupling, citation analysis, cluster analysis, content analysis, keyword analysis and a three-field plot to map the intellectual structure of reference price.

Findings

The content analysis gave seven research clusters: (1) modeling reference price, (2) consumer perceptions of price (un)fairness, (3) price framing, (4) comparative price-based promotion, (5) reference price formulation, (6) pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing and (7) range theory and price perceptions. The study also delineates reference price literature across several parameters like authorship, highest cited paper, most popular journal, institutions, region-wise publication trend and author-networks. The emerging research themes for future scholars working in this domain have also been highlighted.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive study to explore reference price from a bibliometric lens. The study highlights and discusses the recent themes on reference price, from both academic and managerial perspectives.

Citation

Srivastava, M., Pandey, N. and Saini, G.K. (2022), "Reference price research in marketing: a bibliometric analysis", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 40 No. 5, pp. 604-623. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-02-2022-0049