It’s quite easy to throw away money online without a second thought after a few drinks, according to a OnePoll study. According to the research (and we’re guessing, plenty of personal experiences out there), we get impulsive and our filter on what is or isn’t a good idea starts to get a little blurry.
The study polled 2,000 British online shoppers, and one fourth of those surveyed admitted to popping open a bottle, sitting back, and shopping online while inebriated. Usually the worst part of having a bit too much to drink is the hangover – but in this case, it might be the massive credit card charges. 78 percent of these drunk online shoppers admitted to regretting their purchases after the beer (or wine or vodka, choose your poison) goggles wore off. According to the numbers, 56 percent of remorseful shoppers had purchased clothes, while 22 percent bought a gadget.
With the shopping process far more efficient and more mobile-friendly than it used to be, it’s easier than ever to click and purchase in just a few steps. This should be a warning to the guilty parties who shop while inebriated to be more vigilant.
If you think this report sounds silly, we’ll point you toward an earlier New York Times article that quoted eBay’s Vice President of Innovation and New Ventures Steve Yankovich (formerly the VP of Mobile in 2011 when the Times quoted him). Asked if drinking is involved in purchasing decisions, Yankovich responded “Absolutely.” He added, “If you think about what most people do when they get home from work in the evening, it’s decompression time. The consumer’s in a good mood.” There’s the data to back this up as well: Typically the busiest online shopping hours are in the evening right around when folks get back home from work. And to capitalize on our booze-filled nights at home surfing the Web, you might notice that e-commerce sites will tend to send “sales” and other notifications to lure these possibly drunk shoppers.
