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Self-Scanning and Self-Control: A Field Experiment on Real-Time Feedback and Shopping Behavior

Montinari, Natalia LU ; Runnemark, Emma and Wengström, Erik LU (2017) In Working Papers
Abstract
Payment and checkout at retail stores is increasingly being replaced by automated systems. One recent technological invention in this area is mobile self-scanning in which customers carry a mobile scanner while shopping. Mobile self-scanners give real-time feedback on spending. The device increases price saliency and enables customers to keep track of the total amount spent. Using a field experiment, we test if mobile self-scanning affects shopping behavior. Consumers of two grocery stores were allocated randomly to use a mobile self-scanner or not. Overall, we find that using the self-scanner has a negative but insignificant effect on total amount spent. However, the response to using the scanner is heterogeneous and for customers with... (More)
Payment and checkout at retail stores is increasingly being replaced by automated systems. One recent technological invention in this area is mobile self-scanning in which customers carry a mobile scanner while shopping. Mobile self-scanners give real-time feedback on spending. The device increases price saliency and enables customers to keep track of the total amount spent. Using a field experiment, we test if mobile self-scanning affects shopping behavior. Consumers of two grocery stores were allocated randomly to use a mobile self-scanner or not. Overall, we find that using the self-scanner has a negative but insignificant effect on total amount spent. However, the response to using the scanner is heterogeneous and for customers with low self-control, it significantly reduces both their spending and number of items bought when using the mobile scanner. Moreover, we find that consumers with low self-control are more likely to use the self-scanner than individuals with high self-control. Taken together, our results suggest that sophisticated individuals, that is, individuals who are aware of their self-control problem, use the scanner to control their spending. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Self-scanning, Self-control, Shopping Behavior, Real-time Feedback, Field Experiment, D01, D12, M30
in
Working Papers
issue
2017:15
pages
23 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
11b93dd4-79e2-4673-9a07-969166cf0a65
date added to LUP
2017-12-06 14:38:38
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:12:00
@misc{11b93dd4-79e2-4673-9a07-969166cf0a65,
  abstract     = {{Payment and checkout at retail stores is increasingly being replaced by automated systems. One recent technological invention in this area is mobile self-scanning in which customers carry a mobile scanner while shopping. Mobile self-scanners give real-time feedback on spending. The device increases price saliency and enables customers to keep track of the total amount spent. Using a field experiment, we test if mobile self-scanning affects shopping behavior. Consumers of two grocery stores were allocated randomly to use a mobile self-scanner or not. Overall, we find that using the self-scanner has a negative but insignificant effect on total amount spent. However, the response to using the scanner is heterogeneous and for customers with low self-control, it significantly reduces both their spending and number of items bought when using the mobile scanner. Moreover, we find that consumers with low self-control are more likely to use the self-scanner than individuals with high self-control. Taken together, our results suggest that sophisticated individuals, that is, individuals who are aware of their self-control problem, use the scanner to control their spending.}},
  author       = {{Montinari, Natalia and Runnemark, Emma and Wengström, Erik}},
  keywords     = {{Self-scanning; Self-control; Shopping Behavior; Real-time Feedback; Field Experiment; D01; D12; M30}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2017:15}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Working Papers}},
  title        = {{Self-Scanning and Self-Control: A Field Experiment on Real-Time Feedback and Shopping Behavior}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}