Sales · Randomized field experiment comparing collaborative-filter recommendations with no recommendations; product/category analyses.
How Do Recommender Systems Affect Sales Diversity? A Cross-Category Investigation via Randomized Field Experiment
Information Systems Research · 2019
Summary
Traditional collaborative filtering reduced aggregate sales diversity; purchase-based CF had larger effects than view-based; niche items gained absolutely but lost share.
For your marketing
Possible founder application
Use as a mechanism or sales-process design reference. Validate the relationship in your own deal size, buying committee and sales cycle.
Reported result
What the study found
Traditional collaborative filtering reduced aggregate sales diversity; purchase-based CF had larger effects than view-based; niche items gained absolutely but lost share.
Research question
What the authors investigated
How do collaborative recommenders affect aggregate and individual sales diversity?
Design
Randomized field experiment comparing collaborative-filter recommendations with no recommendations; product/category analyses.
Sample and setting
Top North American retailer; 82,290 products and 1,138,238 users.
Scope and transfer
Limitations to keep in view
One top North American retailer and collaborative-filter designs; aggregate diversity can differ from individual consumption diversity.
Research sources
Publisher abstract states the randomization, scale and four reported findings. Direct publisher-page retrieval was recorded on 2026-10-09; this profile uses the publisher abstract/metadata and does not claim independent review of unavailable full text.