A recent study that appeared in the Journal of Marketing advises consumers feeling the sting of the prevailing crisis in living costs to refrain from drinking coffee before going grocery shopping.   Apparently, quick caffeine tends to increase the likelihood of making impulse buys.

The most well-known stimulant in the world, caffeine is regularly consumed by a sizable portion of the masses.  It comes in the forms of coffee, soda, tea, and energy drinks. Customers frequently shop in person or online either right after or in the midst of a good cup of Joe.  This trend is why many retail stores, such as major supermarkets, are adding coffee shops to their establishments.  And not to mention, many independent coffee shops are adding free internet services that have commercial ads for eCommerce shops.

How Caffeine Impacts Shopping Behavior

The recent study by the University of South Florida (USF) experimented on how caffeine affects shopping behavior. More than 320 customers participated in the study.   The tests were generally from the countries of France or Spain.

To determine how caffeine affected consumers’ purchasing behaviors, the researchers ran tests in three retail establishments. Free cups of coffee with 90 mg of caffeine were given to 50 percent of the customers; the other 50 percent received water or decaf coffee. After that, the participants conducted themselves normally in the store and gave the team their shopping receipts after their purchases. 

They found that individuals who consumed a cup of decaf coffee before going shopping ended up spending approximately 50% more cash and purchased nearly 30% more products than those who drank decaf coffee or water. And this effect happens to most coffee drinkers. Trying to learn about where your coffee beans come from won’t help the impulsive spending trait.

“Shoppers trying to curb impulsive purchases could perhaps avoid drinking caffeinated drinks before shopping,” Dipayan Biswas, USF Marketing Professor. Additionally, caffeine affected the kinds of goods people purchased: those who drank coffee purchased more air fresheners and other non-essentials,” he added.

“For “high hedonic” products, this effect is stronger, and for “low hedonic,” it is lessened. These results are crucial for managers to comprehend because they show how a seemingly inapplicable activity (such as caffeine intake in/or around the store) can have an impact on consumer spending” Patrick Hartmann, Research Author.

While modest caffeine consumption has positive health effects, there may be unforeseen adverse financial effects on spending from the consumer’s point of view. Therefore, people trying to rein in impulsive spending should refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages prior to going shopping.

Caffeine Impact On Online Shopping

A second research study targeted the influence of caffeine ingestion during e-shopping to find out the effects of coffee.  

This testing group included 200 students from business colleges, who were given a cup of Joe in a lab facility. The respondents were split into two groups, one of which drank about 30mg of caffeinated coffee while the other drank water.  All were required to choose goods from a pre-selected list of 60 alternatives.

It was discovered that the caffeine-consuming group of students chose more things that were thought to be impulsive items, like a massage chair, while the decaf group chose more valuable things, like a textbook.

Caffeine consumption prior to online shopping had an impact on participants’ shopping preferences, just like it did during the in-person grocery experiment. Less frequently did they select helpful items, and more frequently did they choose “fun” things.

The main piece of budget-conscious consumer advice from the researchers is to abstain from caffeine prior to shopping.

Naturally, giving up your morning latte isn’t the only way to reduce impulsive spending. Simple measures like eating something before you go shopping, using a cart rather than a basket, and avoiding using your phone right before bed can all be beneficial. And more significant changes, like establishing specific financial objectives, can assist consumers in becoming more aware of spending. All of these good practices will help consumers maximize the use of their funds.