a new study has found that a cup of coffee can cost a lot more than you expect when you buy it at the mall.
according to the research,
published in the journal of marketing
, people who drank caffeine just before shopping spent 50 per cent more money and made nearly 30 per cent more purchases than those who consumed decaffeinated coffee or water. this “unintended consequence” of caffeine, which boosted the purchase of non-essential items, may help explain the increasingly common presence of coffee bars at store entrances.
“caffeine, as a powerful stimulant, releases dopamine in the brain, which excites the mind and the body,”
said dipayan biswas
, lead author of the study and the frank harvey endowed professor of marketing at the university of south florida. “this leads to a higher energetic state, which in turn enhances impulsivity and decreases self-control.
“as a result, caffeine intake leads to shopping impulsivity in terms of higher number of items purchased and greater spending.”
to test their theory, researchers set up a complimentary espresso machine at the entrances of two stores in france and one in spain. on the way inside, more than 300 shoppers were offered either a cup of coffee containing 100 mg of caffeine, a cup of decaffeinated coffee or water. around half of the consumers opted for the caffeinated option and all shoppers shared their receipts with the team on their way out of the store.