Subsequent research has shown that these fail-prone consumers tend to cluster in “harbinger ZIP codes” — entire geographical swaths that share the same niche purchase preferences.When they move away from one harbinger ZIP code, they tend to end up in another harbinger ZIP code.And if they move to a non-harbinger ZIP code — an area where consumers have popular, mainstream tastes — their propensity to purchase flops doesn’t change. This suggests that harbinger purchasing behavior has more to do with geography than social influence.


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