I love coffee as much as the next woman. I also enjoy coffee and shopping and regard the pairing as one of the finer things in life. However… That particular dopamine balloon has been punctured by some fascinating research out of the University of South Florida which has found that caffeine makes shoppers spend more and alters what we spend our money on.
Researchers conducted three experiments in large retailers in France and Spain, setting up coffee machines near the entrances. They found that shoppers who took up their offer of a complimentary caffeinated coffee before shopping spent 50% more money and bought nearly 30% more items than their fellow shoppers who drank only decaffeinated coffee or water. The findings were published in the Journal of Marketing and also revealed that caffeine tipped us towards luxury items such as scented candles and perfume.
Dipayan Biswas, the lead author of the study, notes that “caffeine as a powerful stimulant, releases dopamine in the brain, which excites the mind and the body. 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.“
So, next time you shop: maybe stick to decaffeinated?
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I hope this leads to retailers offering free coffee everywhere!