Look but Don't Touch

It all makes perfect sense.

Now I know why jewelers are always so willing to open up the case and let you hold the jewels...the same goes for car dealers and the rug merchants in the souks of Marrakesh.

From ScienceDaily...

Consumers are often told that if they break an item, they buy it. But a new study suggests that if they just touch an item for more than a few seconds, they may also end up buying it.

Researchers tested how touching an item before buying affects how much they are willing to pay. A simple experiment with an inexpensive coffee mug revealed that in many cases, simply touching the coffee mug for a few seconds created an attachment that led people to pay more for the item.

People who held the coffee mug longer than a few seconds seemed not only more compelled to outbid others in an auction setting, but they were also more willing to bid more than the retail price for that item.

“The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost immediately attached to something as insignificant as a mug. By simply touching the mug and feeling it in their hands, many people begin to feel like the mug is, in fact, their mug. Once they begin to feel it is theirs, they are willing to go to greater lengths to keep it.”

So if you want to avoid that expensive purchase...look but don't touch!