A New Way to Avoid Impulse Shopping

Impulse shopping. I walk into the store with a shopping list, but come out with things that were not on my list. Is there any hope? Maybe your cell phone can save the day.

When I entered the grocery store recently, I went prepared with my list. Avocados and chips definitely weren’t on my list. But they were in a display next to the entrance. Guacamole sounds nice. And I succumbed to impulse shopping.

We’ve all made impulse buys. You walk into the store searching for one thing and come out with something else. Stores are designed to tempt you with impulse shopping. The candy is near the check-out in the grocery store. The milk is always a long way from the door so you must walk past everything else. Displays throughout the store are designed to catch your eye and remind you of things you want (but maybe don’t need). Temptations lurk on every aisle.

Maybe stores are helping you with these displays. Maybe the designers are altruistic – working to remind you of things you forgot to add to your list. Maybe it isn’t about coaxing extra dollars out of your pocket.

But probably not.

Is there a way to protect yourself from impulse shopping? Admittedly, I rely on lists. I know what I’m searching for and strive to move directly to those items. I don’t want to buy other things. But even so, I find myself tempted. The avocados and chips sometimes end up in my grocery cart. My grocery bill inflates. And so does my waistline.

According to new research, cell phones may save us from impulse shopping. Interestingly, the solution doesn’t involve using your phone to hold your shopping list. Instead, your phone may distract you from displays and temptations.

I’m sure you’ve seen people using their phones while shopping. Maybe you’ve been annoyed by that phone user slowly wandering the grocery aisles and clogging the space with a cart. Maybe you’ve been that person. What if that person is less susceptible to impulse shopping?

Often when I write about cell phones I express concern. I have frequently noted the dangers of driving while using a cell phone. When people are talking on a phone while driving, they drive more poorly and become less aware of their surroundings (Unicycling Clowns; Hang Up and Drive). When people walk and use a cell phone, the same problems arise (Pokémon Go blog; Texting Zombies). People become focused on their phones and fail to become aware of interesting and important things around them. This failure is called inattentional blindness (here’s a link to a nice demonstration you can try). Using your cell phone while trying to navigate through the world puts you at risk of accident, injury, and death.

But the same cell phone behaviors may be advantageous when shopping. Shoppers with cell phones may also be less aware of the world around them. They may fail to see you and fail to share the aisle with you – that part is annoying. But they may also be less aware of those displays. They may fail to see the temptations.

In a new study, Silvia Bellini and Simone Aiolfi (2017) investigated the shopping behaviors of people using their cell phones. They interviewed shoppers as they left a grocery store. About 30% of the respondents had used their phone while shopping and most uses were unrelated to shopping. People were communicating via texts, calls, and social media while wandering the aisles of the grocery store. Nicely, people using their phones were less able to remember the displays they saw in the store. This matters. The failure to notice and remember the displays is a nice example of inattentional blindness. They apparently failed to become aware of the temptations.

Critically, cell phone use protected people from impulse shopping. The people using their cell phones were less likely to have purchased something that wasn’t on their list. They made less than half as many impulse purchases as people not using their phones. Cell phones save money.

Finally, a justification to play with your phone while wandering through the store. You may be saving money. If my cell phone can help me avoid the chips and avocados, maybe my phone can even help me lose weight.

Normally, I think it is important to be aware of the world around you. When driving, you need to see the other vehicles and people sharing the road with you. When walking, you need to become aware of obstacles and risks. But when shopping? Maybe you want to be less aware. Maybe you don’t want to see the displays. Maybe being a distracted shopper is beneficial.

Altruism Essential Reads

How to Foster the Value of Generosity in Your Children

“Don’t Be a Sh*tty Person”

If you use your cell phone while crossing the street, you may fail to see approaching vehicles. You risk being hit by a car. If you use your cell phone while shopping, you may fail to notice that tempting display of avocados and chips. You may risk saving money. That’s a risk I can appreciate.