Journal of Indian Business Research Journal of Indian Business Research © Emerald Publishing Limited 1755-4195 DOI 10.1108/JIBR-01-2024-0019 Reconceptualizing personalized recommendations as dynamic signals: a consumer’s perspective Shobhana Chandra Department of Marketing, Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, Mumbai, India Binilkumar Amarayil Sreeraman Department of Finance Economics and Strategy, Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, Mumbai, India, and Sanjeev Verma Department of Marketing, Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, Mumbai, India Received 27 January 2024 Revised 25 August 2025 Accepted 30 August 2025 Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to understand the consumer perception of personalization in personalized recommendations. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach consisting of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was adopted. Findings – Prior research suggests that users evaluate the quality of personalized recommendations (PRs) based on accuracy, novelty and diversity. Indian consumers, however, also consider factors such as adaptation, observable bias and redundancy in their perception of personalization. Secondly, consumers seek coherence in product information, collective consumer opinions, deals, popularity and endorsement badges when forming their opinions about PRs. Thirdly, although earlier research identifies lack of trust as the primary inhibitor of online purchase intention, the findings of this study indicate that with experience, consumers tend to focus more on risk minimization. Finally, Indian consumers are increasingly aware of the influence of PRs on impulse purchases and the sustainability of their consumption. Research limitations/implications – This study relies on qualitative techniques of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, restricted to Indian consumers. The authors recommend a quantitative and cross- country approach to increase the generalizability. Practical implications – The practical implications for practitioners from this study are to avoid the appearance of the same items multiple times in the recommendation, have a single list of recommendations and create nudges to help consumers consume responsibly. Originality/value – Consumers perceive personalization as an evolving mechanism characterized by the absence of repetition and bias. Secondly, with accumulated experience, their evaluative focus transitions from establishing trust to minimizing perceived risk. Thirdly, consumers increasingly expect recommender systems to facilitate sustainable consumption practices – by not merely promoting environmentally responsible products but also constraining excessive consumption behaviors. Keywords Qualitative research, Electronic commerce, Consumer experience, Customers perception Paper type Research paper Personalized recommendations (PRs) have become integral to the online shopping experience and the broader e-commerce landscape. In their study on personalization, Chandra et al. (2022) emphasized the growing prominence of PR in e-commerce, identifying it as an emerging area within the personalization domain. According to McKinsey reports, Amazon attributes approximately 35% of its sales to PR (Mackenzie et al., 2013; Amatriain and Basilico, 2016). Downloaded from http://www.emerald.com/jibr/article-pdf/doi/10.1108/JIBR-01-2024-0019/10314478/jibr-01-2024-0019en.pdf by Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM) user on 27