Smart Phones, Bad Decisions? The Impact of In-store Mobile Technology Use on Consumer Decisions

A critical topic of interest to marketers, in-store decision making is common for many consumers (Inman and Winer 1998). One understudied factor impacting consumer decisions are mobile technologies such as cellphones and smartphones. As mobile devices continue to grow in popularity, it is critical that marketers understand how these devices are used in retail environments. Recently, mobile technologies have been praised for helping consumers make better decisions (Shapiro 2012). However, research acknowledges unintended visual and cognitive impairments associated with these devices (e.g., Strayer, Drews, and Johnston 2003; Strayer and Johnston 2001). Consequently, the use of mobile technologies in shopping environments may act as a double-edged sword with both positive and negative implications for shoppers. We argue that the nature of mobile use (shopping-related vs. shopping-unrelated) will differentially impact consumer outcomes. When used in an unrelated manner (e.g., talking, texting, surfing the web), we predict that multi-tasking exhausts attentional resources and results in negative outcomes such as purchasing more unwanted products or more time spent shopping. When used in a related manner (e.g., checking prices, using shopping applications), we predict that mobile technologies may have both positive and negative outcomes. For example, consumers should be better equipped to track spending and be more likely to purchase forgotten needs items. However, we also argue that relevant technology use may still prove distracting and result in more impulse purchases and longer shopping times.