Ideally, we should all be disciplined enough where if we walk into a store, it is with a purpose and to buy a specific item(s). However, have you found that there are times, sometimes more often that you’d like, where you walk into a store only to walk out with more things than you actually need?
Turns out that there could be a culprit behind you buying junk: your phone. In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, a team of researchers found that playing with your phone while you’re inside of a store has the potential to cause you to end up buying junk that you don’t need.
The study surveyed 2,520 shoppers who shopped at a “mass merchandiser” and found that those who used their phones while in the store, bought 9% more items that were deemed “unplanned”. According to one of the researchers, Michael Sciandra, “Mobile phones are quickly becoming the principal distractor for many consumers and they offer a unique form of interruption.”
He adds, “Our findings may influence consumers’ attitudes towards mobile phone use while shopping and persuade them to reflect on how these devices impact our lives, both positively and negatively.” So the next time you’re at the store, maybe consider completing your shopping task first before playing with your phone, unless you want to end up with things you don’t need.