The Surprising Trigger That Makes You Buy Cleaning Products

Recently published research in the Journal of Consumer Research details a series of experiments that analyzed how a perceived loss of control changes the way we shop. In one experiment, researchers invited people entering a U.S. grocery store to either recall a time they felt like they’d lost control over their surroundings (by getting stuck in traffic, stranded at the airport or laid off, for example) or a time when they felt high control (like when breezing through an exam). Customers were randomly assigned one topic or the other, asked to write a short essay detailing the experience, then went shopping as usual and turned in their receipts on the way out.