In the middle of the sales season, it is worth remembering our rights as consumers to avoid scams and scams, and experts also recommend avoiding impulse buys unnecessary. The latter is more complicated when faced with juicy offers, but also we could spend more if just before we have consumed coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
These are the conclusions detailed in a study published this month in the research journal Journal of Marketingin which it has been analyzed how the possible consumption of caffeine before buying influences the behavior of that purchase by the consumer.
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant which is ingested daily by millions of people around the world, mainly through coffee in its different variants, but also in the form of tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, functional juices and even fortified foods or chocolate. Although it has numerous benefits for the body, its effects can also be harmful depending on the amounts ingested, the level of tolerance or the specific circumstances of each individual.
Science continues to investigate these effects on health, but the work carried out by researchers at the Journal of Marketing have focused on how caffeine influences the behavior of something as everyday as shopping, since drinking coffee or other stimulating beverages during or after the purchase process is an increasingly common activity, both in physical and virtual stores.
The research has been developed in two lines, on the field itself and later in the laboratory, first installing coffee machines at the entrance of retail stores in several countries. A cup of coffee was offered to more than 300 customers and as many decaffeinated drinks or water to others, after which the purchase receipts were compared. In another phase, we analyzed shopping on-line of subjects who ingested caffeine before or during the purchase process, compared with those who did not take this substance.
To avoid overspending, it’s best to avoid caffeine before shopping
Thus, the results of the research show that the consumption of a caffeinated beverage, compared to those without the stimulant, before buying, increases impulsivity in terms of a greater number of items purchased and also greater spending. Also, impulse spending is higher on “hedonic” productssuperfluous or unnecessary.
The researchers conclude that these data show how something as seemingly banal as having a coffee before going on sale can cause us to spend more money than expected on things we also don’t need, and they recommend people trying to control the budget avoid caffeine intake before and during purchase activity, whether in physical stores or from home.
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