Orders on e-commerce sites made from a phone or tablet are more likely to be pleasure-oriented than necessary.
Are the end of the month a bit difficult? Avoid e-commerce sites on your tablet or smartphone! An experiment carried out at the University of British Columbia (Canada) has shown that devices with touch screens are more conducive to culpable purchases than desktops.
With more than two billion human beings connected by mobile, almost half of online purchases are now made by smartphone or tablet. The news is then important for consumers, but especially for e-commerce companies.
“Touch technology has, in a short time, penetrated the markets and become part of our daily lives,” said Ying Zhu, marketing specialist at the University of British Columbia, and lead author of the study. Faced with this growth and the rapid enthusiasm it generates, we know, strangely, little about its effects on consumers. “
Pleasure VS reason
To find out how buyers react, the researchers set up a small experiment. It consisted of placing students from their university in front of touch devices, or desktop computers, then studying their purchasing tendencies: either “hedonic” goods, pleasure purchases such as chocolates or massages, or reasonable purchases. , useful and practical, like bread or a printer.
Significantly enough, users of tactile tools are moving towards the former. “The playfulness and fun of touch screens drives consumers towards hedonic products,” Zhu explains. While the logical and functional nature of the desktop computer accompanies the buyers’ preference for useful products. “
Resist to save
When subjected to reflection tests, a difference between the two groups also emerged. Computer users, for example, achieved better scores on rational reasoning tests.
“Overall, we’ve learned that using a touchscreen promotes experimental thinking, which resonates with the playful nature of hedonic products,” Zhu continues. These results could very well shake up the retail industry. Or at least some marketing and advertising rules.
Researcher’s advice to consumers: If you want to save money, throw away your phone when you feel the urge to buy something. You would indeed be more likely to succumb to it.
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