When the future feels long: How future time perspective shapes upgrade intentions through the lens of self-improvement

Prior research has largely focused on product features in explaining upgrade decisions. Shifting to a consumer-centric lens, this study investigates how future time perspective (FTP), the subjective perception of one's future as expansive or limited, shapes upgrade intentions in real-world retail contexts (e.g., smartphone trade-ins, tablet PC subscriptions, and automotive upgrades). Across five studies (total N = 1578; Chinese adults), including one experiment-based survey (Study 1) and four online experiments (Studies 2–5), we find that, in general, consumers with an expansive FTP exhibit higher upgrade intention than those with a limited FTP (η2 = 0.04–0.06, all p < 0.001). This effect is mediated by self-improvement focus: expansive FTP leads consumers to view upgrades as symbolic steps toward their future selves. Crucially, the effect is moderated by implicit self-theory, emerging only among individuals with an incremental (vs. entity) view of the self. Theoretically, this study advances consumer upgrade theory by reframing upgrades through self-extension, extending socioemotional selectivity theory to consumption, and integrating implicit self-theory as a cognitive boundary condition. Practically, we propose a “temporal retailing†framework, enabling firms to ethically enhance upgrade adoption without relying on price discounts or hardware overhauls.