The British Psychological Society (BPS) has shared a video on TikTok revealing why it may be wise to avoid drinking coffee before shopping.
According to the shortenwhich featured still images of coffee and people drinking it, overlaid with written captions: If you drink coffee before shopping, “you might want to stop.”
And the reason may be a bit surprising.
The video said that drinking coffee before shopping can “increase impulse purchases.”
While the clip was recently released, it was based on 2022 research, titled Effects of Caffeine on Consumer Spending, published in the Journal of Marketing.
Drinking coffee before shopping could influence you to spend more money or be more impulsive with your purchases (stock image)
The study involved a series of experiments that sought to discover what impact, if any, caffeine had on purchasing habits.
According to the video: ‘People who had a single espresso before entering a store spent a staggering 50 percent more money than those who had a decaf coffee.
‘Caffeine drinkers reported feeling more excited and when we are excited, we tend to be more impulsive.’
Commenting on the research in a lengthy caption accompanying the video, the BPS said: “Interesting psychological research reveals the effects of caffeine that go far beyond increasing alertness – and not all of them are good.”
In the study, researchers installed an espresso station in a large chain store (selling home goods) in France.
For four days, shoppers received free drinks: some received espressos made with caffeinated coffee and others received decaffeinated coffee.
Those who received the free coffee were asked to answer questions about how they felt while shopping (specifically how excited, alert and sleepy they felt), as well as share their receipts.
The same experiment was repeated in Spain.
Research involving several studies found that consumers reported feeling “more excited” about shopping after drinking a caffeinated beverage (file image)
A third experiment in France followed the same procedure, but instead of just tracking household items, other product categories were included.
Then, in the fourth and final study, students drank caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages before being asked whether they would like to purchase items from a “relaxation category.”
Describing the results of these experiments in a lengthy caption accompanying the video, the BPS said: ‘The team found that people who drank just an espresso before entering a shop spent a staggering 50 per cent more money inside than others who had had a decaf coffee or a drink of water.
‘They were also more likely to opt for “highly hedonic” items, such as buttery foods or relaxing products, rather than useful things.’
Explaining why this might be the case, the BPS noted that participants who drank caffeine reported feeling “more excited”.
The British Psychological Society said people trying to budget may find it helpful to know that caffeine can affect shopping habits (stock image)
This, according to the BPS, is “undoubtedly due to a misperception of a caffeine-induced faster heart rate as ‘excitement’.”
He added that “when we are excited, we tend to be more impulsive.”
Further analysing the results of this research on its website, the BPS noted that the findings could be useful to retailers, who could offer customers free coffee, which “could potentially yield a significant return on investment”.
However, the results are also useful for consumers, especially those trying to budget.
While the organisation noted that it is external factors such as the cost of living crisis that are causing people to struggle to spend at the supermarket, it said that “being aware of the impact of caffeine could help people make small savings or at least be more aware of the potential for unplanned spending.”
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