The purpose of this study is to see whether price endings affect people's perceptions of luxury and necessity goods. There is evidence that the rightmost digits, or endings, of retail prices can communicate meanings to consumers. Some researchers (Schindler and Kirby, 1997; Stiving and Winer, 1997; Thomas and Morwitz, 2005) argued that there are two price ending effects level effects (those effects in which consumers may underestimate the price); and image effects (those effects in which consumers may infer meaning from the right-hand digits). In the study, ninety-three participants were recruited from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. All participants were given questionnaires to rate the quality and necessity-luxury of the good first; then a distraction session which used for distracting participants' attention from memorizing the prices of the goods; then a recall-test was given. Participants gave significantly different ratings for luxuries and necessities according to the different price-endings. In addition, the idea that the prices ending in 9 tend to be underestimated was also found.

The purpose of this study is to see whether price endings affect people's perceptions of luxury and necessity goods. There is evidence that the rightmost digits, or endings, of retail prices can communicate meanings to consumers. Some researchers (Schindler and Kirby, 1997; Stiving and Winer, 1997; Thomas and Morwitz, 2005) argued that there are two price ending effects level effects (those effects in which consumers may underestimate the price); and image effects (those effects in which consumers may infer meaning from the right-hand digits). In the study, ninety-three participants were recruited from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. All participants were given questionnaires to rate the quality and necessity-luxury of the good first; then a distraction session which used for distracting participants' attention from memorizing the prices of the goods; then a recall-test was given. Participants gave significantly different ratings for luxuries and necessities according to the different price-endings. In addition, the idea that the prices ending in 9 tend to be underestimated was also found.

過去國外的研究顯示，約有30%~65%的商品是採用九尾數定價，國內的研究也顯示，九尾數被使用的頻率顯著高於其他尾數，然而，過去國外的研究，多半只單偏重於認知面或行為面的研究，缺少整合性的資料，而且通常一次只探討一個變數，難以考慮交互效果的影響。在國內的研究方面，目前僅就廠商定價的角度進行研究，因此，本研究擬結合認知面、行為面的實驗，探討採用九尾數定價的商品，是否在消費者注意力、偏好態度等認知面，以及消費者實際購買的行為面有顯著差異。 研究使用的變數包括九尾數與否、特價標示與否、新產品標示與否，以及一個調整變數：品牌知名度等四個解釋變數。本研究分為三個部分進行，第一個部分是以實驗商品的問卷調查，了解四個變數對消費者注意力的影響。第二個部分是以問卷調查的方式，了解其對消費者偏好態度的影響。第三個部分是以實驗商品的銷售百分比，研究變數對消費者購買行為的影響。 實驗得到的結果是，九尾數可以有效吸引消費者的注意力、使消費者產生偏好，但是在實際購買行為上，需要與特價標示同時出現，才有較佳的效果。新產品無法顯著引起消費者的注意力，但是有新產品標示的產品，消費者有較高的偏好及購買程度。在新舊產品的影響方面，九尾數使用在新產品或舊產品，並沒有顯著差異。考慮品牌知名度的影響，高知名度會增加消費者的注意力，但在購買行為上，會與九尾數產生交互效果，低知名度的產品採用九尾數的效果顯著不佳。