Search Goods
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A category from information economics, introduced by Phillip Nelson and developed by Michael Darby and Edi Karni, distinguishing goods by when quality becomes observable. For search goods such as clothing or furniture, quality can be evaluated before purchase by inspection, so buyers can compare on verifiable attributes. Experience goods reveal quality only after consumption, and credence goods may never be verifiable by the buyer. The distinction matters because it determines where competition occurs: for search goods, advantage is gained by making quality legible before the transaction.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Attribute design: convert quality claims into comparable parameters a buyer can check before purchase. - Shelf strategy: decide the comparison on the listing page, since the decision happens there. - Friction removal: reduce the buyer's cost of searching, which is the main competitive lever.
Anchor fast decisions
When quality is verifiable before purchase, buyers compare directly and the seller cannot rely on post-purchase persuasion, so unverifiable claims carry no weight. Effort therefore shifts to making real attributes visible and comparable, because a genuine advantage that remains hidden is economically identical to no advantage. Reducing search cost works the same way, since it increases the number of buyers who complete a comparison rather than abandoning it.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEC_classification_of_goods_and_servicesverified
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