Friday Research: Oh, You Keep Me Warm And I'll Pay More!

When Will You Use This?  

Planning and managing your shopping environment.

What’s The Red-Letter Bite Today? 

Is it possible that temperature affects consumer spending?

Current research examines whether warmth (warmth of one’s surroundings or the tactile temperature of the product) can be a buying incentive in the shopping environment. The researchers found that warm temperatures increase individuals' valuation of products. Furthermore, people in a warm room were willing to pay more than those in a cool room for a majority of consumer items shown to them, and other participants were willing to pay 36% more for items when holding warm, versus cool, therapeutic pads.

The studies suggest that exposure to physical warmth activates the concept of emotional warmth, evoking positive reactions and increasing product valuation.

Addition To Your Bag of Tricks    

It’s obvious that environmental factors influence people’s decisions in the shopping situation. Physical warmth can shape consumers’ purchase decisions and here are a few ideas how you can use it for your benefit:

• Optimize your shop’s temperature

 • Heat boosts attractiveness of your product so offer your products warm but only where it is an enhancement to the product.

• If your product has generally cool temperature and normally shouldn’t be heated, give your customer some other warm bonus, like a cup of tea or coffee.  

*Zwebner, Yonat, Leonard Lee, and Jacob Goldenberg. "The Temperature Premium: Warm Temperatures Increase Product Valuation." Journal of Consumer Psychology (forthcoming) {Thanks for the material}

P.S. When you’re done reading, I’d love for you to share your experience with warm and cold stimuli in the shopping environment? Leave a comment or Tweet me, let's chat!

P.P.S. Need some help on crafting your marketing message? Let's do this together.