You are more likely to indulge in guilty pleasures when shopping online with a touchscreen versus a desktop computer, according to research by a UBC Okanagan professor.
Studies conducted by Faculty of Management assistant professor Ying Zhu are shedding new light into consumer behaviour when it comes to touchscreen technology, a rapidly increasing sales technology.
香蕉视频直播淭ouchscreen technology has rapidly penetrated the consumer market and embedded itself into our daily lives. Given its fast growth and popularity, we know surprisingly little about its effect on consumers,香蕉视频直播� explains Zhu. 香蕉视频直播淲ith more than two billion smartphone users, the use of tactile technologies for online shopping alone is set to represent nearly half of all e-commerce by next year.香蕉视频直播�
To extend our knowledge on the touchscreen, Zhu and her co-author, Jeffrey Meyer, conducted a series of experiments with university students to measure thinking styles and purchase intentions using devices like touchscreens and desktop computers.
The study aimed to investigate whether online purchase intentions change when it comes to two different types of products: hedonic (purchases that give the consumer pleasure such as chocolate or massages) and utilitarian, products that are practical, like bread or printers.
香蕉视频直播淭he playful and fun nature of the touchscreen enhances consumers香蕉视频直播� favour of hedonic products, while the logical and functional nature of a desktop endorses consumers香蕉视频直播� preference for utilitarian products,香蕉视频直播� explains Zhu.
Zhu香蕉视频直播檚 study also found that participants using touchscreen technology scored significantly higher on experiential thinking than those using desktop computers. However, those on desktops scored significantly higher on rational thinking.
香蕉视频直播淥verall, what we learned is that using a touchscreen evokes consumers香蕉视频直播� experiential thinking, which resonates with the playful nature of hedonic products. These results may well be a game-changer for sectors like the retail industry,香蕉视频直播� says Zhu. 香蕉视频直播淏ut my advice for consumers who want to save a bit of money is to put away the smartphone when you have the urge to spend on a guilty pleasure.香蕉视频直播�
The study was published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services with financial support from a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Development grant.
