Hurried Shoppers Less Picky, Study Finds

We've all been there. It's Christmas Eve and you're still at the local mall, looking for that elusive present for the last person on your list. With the store closing in 10 minutes, you frantically search the shelves and pick out the nearest thing in reach. It wasn't the gift you were hoping to give, but you're in a hurry, and time is of the essence.

This type of panicked, last-minute shopping is actually quite common, according to a new study being published in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. The article, authored by professors from the University of California-Berkeley, Stanford University and the University of Chicago, found that the selectiveness of shoppers decreases dramatically when they are short on time.

"Last-minute shoppers on a tight deadline will pay more for a product advertised as a means to prevent a negative outcome (such as disappointing their spouse) than for a product advertised as a means to promote a positive outcome (such as thrilling their spouse with the perfect gift)," says Jennifer Aaker, one of the study's co-authors, in a press release.

The trio of authors studied a large group of college students as part of their research. One group of students had mid-term examinations coming up within a week. The students who perceived this time frame as "soon" responded more positively to slogans from fictitious tutoring services that were advertised as a way to avoid failing, such as the phrase "Don't do poorly in any class!" The students who considered a week plenty of time to study, on the other hand, were more likely to respond to positively-oriented slogans like "Ace every class."

So how does this translate to shopping? It means that unhurried consumers with plenty of time to choose a gift are more likely to buy products that promise good results, such as a product advertised as "the perfect gift" or "the very best." Last-minute shoppers may be more likely to respond to slogans with negative overtones, like ads that warn consumers not to be left without a gift to give on Valentine's Day.

The findings in this article could be quite valuable to marketers trying to decide how to present their product. Ads for preventative services, such as insurance, might benefit from an ad warning against a negative outcome.

The entire study, titled "Time Will Tell: The Distant Appeal of Promotion and Imminent Appeal of Prevention," can be found here.

UC Berkeley Press Release. "Last Minute Shoppers Settle for Less."

http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/news/20070718_jaaker.html