Using a mobile phone while in the supermarket increases what customers spend by 41% on average, according to new research.
A Bath University analysis of two Swedish studies found that mobile users took longer to walk round stores, with each second spent on the phone or on social media equating to an extra 20 to 40p at the till.
Shoppers in one study added 45% more items to their basket while using a phone, while those taking part in the second study added 58% more.
In both, eye-tracking glasses were used to record shoppers’ visual fields and where they fixated their eyes for the time they were in the store. The time spent on the phone while inside the shop was also noted and receipts used to assess spending.
Results showed that mobile phone use increases the total time spent in the shop and that this results in more purchases.
It is thought the phone distracts people from their planned shopping lists and so-called autopilot shop, where consumers take a routine path to their regular items.
Looking at an increased amount of items may also jog their memory about things they have run out of, or simply inspire them to make extra purchases.
Dr Carl-Philip Ahlbom, of the University of Bath’s School of Management, said: “The findings were very clear – the more time you spend on your phone, the more money you’ll part with.
“So if you’re trying to budget, leave your phone in your pocket. It’s not the phone itself that causes more purchases, but its impact on our focus.”
Using a phone while might hit shoppers in the pocket, but on the flip side it is good news for retailers.
Professor Jens Nordfalt, of the University of Bath, said: “For retailers there’s a clear message here that they no longer need to fear mobile phone use in-store.
“In fact, making it easy for customers to use their mobiles, with good WiFi and enhancements like mobile phone docking stations on shopping trolleys, will more than pay off.
“The one exception is that using a mobile phone protects shoppers from temptation at the checkout. Here we found that people picked up fewer items than normal.”
Source : Sky News :
http://news.sky.com/story/costly-phone-call-distracted-shoppers-spend-more-in-supermarkets-11726611
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