Looking to get a handle on those online impulse buys? A new study suggests you may want to put your tablet, smartphone, or any touchscreen for that matter, down.
The UBC Okanagan (UBCO) study found you’re more likely to indulge in guilty pleasures when shopping online with a touchscreen than when you’re on a desktop computer.
So researchers at UBCO decided to look into it. This study specifically analyzed consumer spending for two types of purchases: practical items and things we splurge on, but don’t necessarily need.
“These results may well be a game-changer for sectors like the retail industry.”
The simple advice if you’re looking to stop those impulse buys – “put away the smartphone when you have the urge to spend on a guilty pleasure,” Zhu said.
But depending on who you are, that may be easier said than done.