The more, the better? Why abundant information leads to unanticipated outcomes

•Product attribute has inverted U-shaped relationships with exploration.•Brand alternative has inverted U-shaped relationships with intention to buy.•Brand alternative and information recipient positively impact exploration.•Product attribute and information recipient positively impact intention to buy.•Novelty has inverted U-shaped relationships with exploration and intention to buy.

The effect of information load on a person’s decision making remains ambiguous, especially in an online environment. By expanding the communication theory, this study developed four subdimensions of information load, namely information source, information characteristics, system interface, and information recipient loads, and explored their influences on consumer behavioral intention, including intention to explore the website and intention to buy. The findings indicate that the number of product attributes and the degree of information novelty exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship with intention to explore, whereas the number of brand alternatives and degree of information novelty exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship with intention to buy. The number of brand alternatives and information recipient load exhibit a positive relationship with intention to explore, whereas the number of product attributes and information recipient load are positively associated with intention to buy. The system interface load, information complexity, and information ambiguity exert a negative influence on intention to explore and intention to buy. The findings explain the inconsistent results of previous studies regarding the reason why too much information sometimes has adverse effects on consumers online shopping behavior.