Buzz
It's almost impossible to avoid distractions at the grocery store. With bright sale signs, tempting sample tables, and new products like flavored seltzers everywhere, it's easy to lose focus. You might think that staying glued to your phone—checking out podcast episodes or chatting with your mom—could help you avoid these marketing tricks. But research shows that fiddling with your phone while shopping could actually make you spend more than you planned.
Don’t believe me? Two studies show that using your phone for things unrelated to your shopping list can result in overspending. This is crucial: if you use a shopping list app or the store’s app to look at deals, you're less likely to get distracted. But as soon as you check a random text while searching for a cash-back deal on boxed wine, that's when the distraction—and your spending—starts to climb.
In another study published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, researchers interviewed shoppers at large stores like Kroger, Target, or Costco to examine the impact of phone use on their shopping behavior. As Fast Company summarizes:
People who use their phones for non-shopping activities while at the store are 9% more likely to purchase items they hadn’t planned on. These impulse buys tend to be indulgent, such as chocolate, snacks, gadgets, and toys, rather than everyday essentials.
If you’re set on using your phone to check your shopping list, look for cash-back deals, or clip coupons, try disabling other notifications while you shop. If you catch yourself using your phone for unrelated tasks, consider switching to a paper list to help you stay focused. Otherwise, you might end up with a few extra items in your cart.
