“A good 95% of this was due to impulse spending, from clothes to pub trips to gig tickets. People who have experienced mental health problems are twice as likely to do either of these, and the charity says they are especially vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic. While mental health, mood and personality all play a role in that, consumer psychology is increasingly being used to shape our choices online. What retailers can doMoney and Mental Health says these marketing tricks all tempt consumers to spend more than they can afford and leave them vulnerable to debt troubles. Nurse wants retailers to adopt “ethical marketing and advertising policies that aim not to exploit impulse buying among lower income groups and vulnerable consumers”.

Source: The Guardian December 05, 2020 12:00 UTC