Manufacturers have traditionally relied on sales figures to understand where they stand with consumers, but by the time those numbers arrive, the consumers’ buying decisions have already been made. A study co-authored by UC Riverside business professor Hai Che offers a way to capture what consumers are thinking while they...

A UCR-led study finds that online consumers view sponsored product listings with suspicion when they shop on major platforms, such as Amazon and eBay. Shoppers often prefer to click on what are called “organic” listings that appear high in their product search results but are not sponsored.