study
Do you want to spend less money? Then you shouldn’t drink coffee
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Those who like to have a coffee or (black) tea before going shopping should be careful. Because according to a new study, caffeine consumption leads to pleasure buying.
For decades, our parents and grandparents have drilled into us that we shouldn’t go shopping on an empty stomach. Because then we would supposedly buy a lot more. A research team from France, Spain and the USA has now, however, as part of a study found out that it’s probably not necessarily hunger that drives us to put more things in the shopping cart. In fact, it’s supposed to be coffee – or more precisely, caffeine – that makes us spend more money.
Study on the relationship between caffeine and purchasing behavior
This was the result of the international team’s investigation. To this end, the scientists, led by marketing researcher Dipayan Biswas from the University of South Florida, have set up a beverage stand in several shops in Spain and France. In another experimental setup, shoppers were invited to a nearby café. You could drink either regular espresso, decaffeinated espresso or water in both variants at different times. More than 300 people took part in the experiment.
In fact, those who drank a caffeinated drink spent more money on groceries afterwards. Not only that, among the products they bought were more “hedonistic” items, meaning items that aren’t strictly necessary but are more for entertainment.
However, the research team found that the effect was somewhat reduced in people who normally drink more than two cups of coffee a day – who have a slightly higher caffeine tolerance than others.
Better no coffee before the shopping tour
“Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that releases dopamine in the brain,” explains lead author Dipayan Biswas. “This has a stimulating effect on the body and mind and can thus increase impulsivity and reduce self-control.” Therefore, caffeine consumption apparently leads to increased buying impulsivity, which is reflected in more purchases and higher spending.
So if you want to save money and protect yourself from impulse purchases, it is best not to drink coffee or tea before shopping – or alternatively build up your caffeine tolerance properly.
Sources used: Spektrum.de, sciencedaily.com, Journal of Marketing