Using Smartphones While Shopping Can Make You Buy More

According to a new study, people who use mobile phones to listen to music or make phone calls while shopping will possibly cause them to spend more than they intend and forget the item they plan to buy from the beginning.

Michael Sciandra, the author of the study from Fairfield University, said:

The study has been reported in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Over 230 people participated in the simulated shopping trip.

They discovered that consumers who are reliant on their smartphones with excessive use were likely to be distracted from their original shopping plans.

Sciandra also said that:

However, Sciandra believes that impulsive buying is not entirely the shopper's fault. Retailers can take advantage of buyers' smartphone distractibility with mobile shopping apps and free Wi-fi which can affect shopping plans. Sciandra added:

In some cases, Sciandra believes that smartphones uses may enhance the shopping experience. He said:

Although the study's results are from a shopping experience simulation, its authors warn others to be cautious when putting these results into real-life settings.