This separation of functions allows a clear assessment of the relationship between retail margins and the value customers place on PDS performance promises they obtain online. This is because the study of this relationship is restricted to the transactions between customers and retailers, to the exclusion of other supply chain parties. The value customers place on PDS performance promises is an exclusive function of retailers’ decisions about what PDS information to disclose and what price margins to set in their transactions with customers. There is no interference by other supply chain stakeholders, such as retail-owned brick and mortar stores, in the offers available online. Moreover, statements of expected PDS performance themselves are set exclusively by the retailers prior to the start of the transaction, before contact with customers, and are made known to the customers once the price conditions have been disclosed. External parties, such as third-party product vendors, suppliers, or PDS providers, do not intervene in this process.