Shopping Angst Revealed

By Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA
Chicago, IL
http://www.sullivanmermel.com/

I've got a theory about stress: it's cumulative. In other words, stress isn't about the two big things that constantly worry you. You can handle the big problems if you're not constantly annoyed with the little ones.

One man who has studied the little stressors is Herb Sorensen, author of Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing. This book instructs retailers how to get you to buy more. He describes two of the low-level shopping annoyances so retailers can avoid them.

That got me thinking; if we avoid retailers that strike up these annoyances, we'll reduce some of our low-level stress.

Here are the two:
Navigational angst: This is when you go to a store and can't find things. You have to search for an employee, interrupt what they're doing, and hope they'll be familiar with their workplace.

Stores design can help with this. Obviously clearly marked aisles help, but so does low shelving. If you can see the entire store, you'll have less navigational angst. This must be what CVS was thinking when they bought Osco and took down the high shelves.

Choice angst: This comes from having too many items to pick from. One study showed that shoppers bought ten times more when offered limited choice. People spend less time in the aisle scratching their heads and more time buying. This phenomenon can help explain the success of Trader Joes and Aldi. Less choice of one product = less stress.

Choice angst doesn't affect everyone, however. I have one client who loves researching major purchases. This was brought up by his wife, who reported that this tendency stressed her out. I have a friend who is such a thorough researcher that I want her to start her own newsletter. That way I can keep up on what she's buying and buy it too. (As Estelle Reiner said in When Harry Met Sally, "I'll have what she's having.")