The other day, I was waiting in the checkout line when I found myself reaching into the grocery cart to restock something I didn't really need. The item was something I'd purchased in the past and didn't particularly enjoy, but it was on sale and I thought it couldn't hurt to give it another shot. Once we reached the register, I realized the likelihood of using it and actually being satisfied was slim to none.
According to the Associated Press, more shoppers are rethinking their cart's contents once they reach the checkout line. It might seem like a hard thing to measure, but store managers have noticed an increase in the time it takes for workers to restock the abandoned items. Joel Bines, a director at AlixPartners, a turnaround consultant, surmised that people "want to be in the act of shopping, but they don't want to be in the act of buying."
Have you been ditching items at checkout once you evaluate your wants vs. needs?
Miu Miu
I think this is just another reflection of the economy. Or maybe a reflection of long lines. The longer you stand in line, the longer you have to think "Do I really need this?" I know I've put stuff back (and returned a lot more stuff) lately that I realized I really didn't need and wanted to save the money.
1Yes, i have been alot more cautious of what i am buying. Everything just seems so expensive lately and i seem to have less and less money
2I've done this but I try and make a final decision on which things I ultimately buy before I reach the checkout line.
3People who do this annoy the crap outta me. I hate it when I get in line behind someone at the store who asks the cashier how much every single item is and then says "Oh, I don't want that, then" to every third item. It makes the cashier's job more difficult and it makes everyone else wait in line longer. Why can't people look at the prices of things while they're buying them?
4I don't ever ask cashiers about prices, but a lot of times at Target or similar places I put something in my cart either to think about or by the time I've got to the register I've changed my mind. I've realized I don't want or need it. I did this long before the current economic situation, I'm just an indecisive person.
5A lot of times if I'm on the fence about something, I'll just stick it in my cart and make up my mind as I'm walking through the store. Then once I know how many things I'm going to have, I can decide for sure if I really want that extra thing. I've worked retail before; it's kind of a pain in the ass for frozen/refrigerated foods because then you have to worry about finding someone else to put it back, but for most things it's not a big deal at all.
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