Consumers buy products in a variety of different environments. They can purchase products online, for instance, or do so at crowded stores in shopping centers.
It matters which option they choose, says Ahreum Maeng, a University of Kansas researcher. She’s found the size of a crowd around a person can dramatically affect their purchasing behaviors.
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Socially crowded environments lead consumers to be more conservative, she adds. When in a crowd, they focus more on their needs and safety rather than on their desires.
For example, they’ll choose toothpaste offering cavity protection over one promising a whiter smile or added feature. People also don’t splurge and take risks, says Maeng, when they’re stuck in a crowd.
“People in…crowded settings [are driven by] an avoidance system that results in a more prevention-focused mindset,” she adds.
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They take less time and choose familiar products as a result, especially when sharing their space with groups they don’t identify with or know.
When conducting her research, Maeng ran six experiments that exposed participants to crowded or uncrowded settings. They had to complete tasks or indicate preferences for messages, products and behaviors in different settings.
Maeng’s research could help your clients, given they could use the behavioural information to help control their spending. This can be done through better choosing the times and locations of their shopping trips.
If they’re struggling to cap expenses, for instance, they could avoid shopping with friends, limit their shopping times and choose to go to less familiar malls.
They could also try to identify which marketing tactics they find effective, and then avoid buying into them.
Maeng says, “Our findings might indicate a store would benefit by selling and marketing products differently on a crowded Saturday during the holidays versus a Tuesday morning in August. Stores might consider changing their signage or product placements even several times in a day” to influence their prospective buyers.
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