‘Checkout charity’ can increase a shopper’s anxiety, especially when asks are automated
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The big idea
Asking customers to support a cause when they pay for stuff can heighten their anxiety. Contrary to the common belief that shoppers feel good about making donations at checkout, we have found that there is a downside to such charity campaigns.
For our study, co-authored with Alex Zablah, we researched how customers respond to donation requests made by cashiers or automated checkout kiosks.