Thursday, April 9, 2009

Hold your spending urge at bay

Put that Chloe bag down. Now. According to new research quoted by Prevention Magazine, holding an object for as little as 30 seconds (instead of just ogling it with your eyes) increases your likelihood of buying it.

Buys who grasped a potential purchase for that long were also more willing to spend more than those who held their items for 10 seconds. Apparently, the lead research author, James Wolf, says its because extended physical contact can confer a sense of ownership.

So that's why whenever I'm in Europe, those guys with the cardboard palettes covered in knockoff sunglasses are adamant about making me hold a pair...try them on. Same goes for stores here, where sales associates are overly eager about "starting a dressing room" for me, or opening up a jewelry case to let me try on a Burberry watch, even if I'm not planning on buying. It's enticement through contact and all of a sudden, it all makes sense. (Photo: Bettman/Corbis via Harvard University)

3 comments:

Needs Help said...

thats really interesting and probably why i have an easier time clicking the web browser shut on the internet than i do putting the dress back in the department store :)

Crystal said...

Yes, maybe there is some merit to doing more shopping online than in-store!

Revanche said...

This is also probably why parents tell their kids to keep their hands to themselves when out shopping.

Yet, as evidenced by yesterday's twitterfest, we PFers may have taken this to a whole other (shoppingness) level. :)

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