May 2

May 2 On Pandemic Shopping

eCommerce has boomed in the pandemic as a result of lockdown measures that shut down store capacity and limited physical access to stores. But, come on now shoppers, let’s be honest - we aren’t just ordering necessities. Some of our online purchases have been downright weird and ‘non-essential”. Why is that?

I am desperately afraid that my mail carrier is going to judge me by the very strange parcels they bring to my door.

I have been at home 24 hours a day for 14 months now. As I sit here writing, I turn my head to the left to see a teepee in my living room. A pandemic purchase for the puppy that under other circumstances I don’t think I would have ordered.

Side note: I love it. I can fit in it. I have visions that this tent will host a movie night.

Apparently it’s not just me who’s been buying weird things online. You know, beyond stockpiling the essentials or equipment to do an at-home workout.

Some other items that are making the list: drone sales are up 60%, plus people are buying all kinds of luxury sweatpants and even trampolines.

This person bought an excess amount of evaporated milk:

Excess evaporated milk. Why did I do this? pic.twitter.com/jIg6k0w107
— Tej Swatch (@TejSwatch) April 16, 2020

We’ve always been suckers for impulse shopping, but is there something about the pandemic that’s making it worse?

You’re Emotional

Your life has been disrupted in one way or another; work, shopping, childcare, etc. the world has been turned upside down. Plus there is an ever-present shadow of horrible infection to yourself or loved ones. Many of us are struggling with the isolation.

So forgive those of us who’ve been spending a bit more of our leisure time browsing our favourite websites. Over a third of credit-card users polled in the US admitted to making covid-stress-related impulse purchases in the past year.

Research tells us that consumers who engage in impulse buys display emotions before, during, or after the purchase decision. The reason? Impulse shoppers are looking for an emotional lift - and the lift from the purchase might be greater than the value they get from the item itself. Online buyers are more likely to be impulsive - especially if there is a sale on. Impulse shopping has been linked to consumers who are experiencing anxiety and unhappiness. Sounds like the pandemic to me!

All that stress from the pandemic erodes willpower. So beware online shopping later at night!

Pain of paying

This is a concept from behavioural economics that suggests the more a purchase ‘hurts’, the less likely people are to buy. People don’t like to spend money, and ways of spending money that remind us exactly what we’re parting with in the transaction make it hurt more. For example, handing over dollar bills and coins hurts more than credit card, and automatic payments you don’t even have to think about hurt less than writing a cheque. Pain of paying keeps spending in check.

Online retailers know this and they have made it oh so easy to pay. They have dulled the pain of paying, to a sensation where you might not even feel a thing. Autoloading credit card info, saving your payment information, etc: they’ve worked out how to make it as frictionless as possible. So when you see that giant stuffed monkey online, you have less chance to have a moment of hesitation about whether you really need it or not.

It’s Easy

Let’s face it, online shopping is easy. You don’t even have to get off your couch. In fact, you don’t even need to change out of pajamas! Other than the fact that you can’t try something on, online shopping is super easy. We know from research that consumers’ resources (ex. time and money) impact impulse buying - that is, the more streamlined the online check-out process, the more likely consumers are to buy that item impulsively.

Do You Want to Save Money?

Knowing all these factors are at play will help you identify when you are being suckered into buying something you simply don’t need online because of the pandemic. There’s a lot of uncertainty with the pandemic so instead of buying stuff, maybe you can find a way to talk about that anxiety with someone you trust. Keeping busy with crafts, projects, books, puzzles, exercise, cooking, and virtual connecting are all great alternatives.

Before pressing “confirm order” ask yourself if you were planning to buy this product in the first place. Taking a moment to break the impulse cycle will help you make an informed decision.

But don’t forget that everyone is impulsive once in a while and it’s generally harmless. If you need those leopard-printed rainbow pj’s then go for it! Just be sure to pay your credit card bill in full.

With love and good cents,