Shoppers abandoning purchases in stores and online

08.25.09
By James Conroy

With many Americans trying to cut corners to make payments toward their credit card debt and mortgages, it appears that a growing number are putting products back on the shelves of their local grocery or department store rather than into their cart.

The Associated Press reports that as people are struggling to make ends meet during the economic downturn, many are leaving discretionary items that they may have not thought twice about during robust economic times and are instead focusing on items they really need.

Retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger III tells the wire service he estimates that 25 percent of shopping trips have consumers putting back at least one item - an increase from about 10 percent during better economic periods.

Even when consumers are at the checkout counter it appears that they're being more conscious of their purchases, as Dan Fishback, CEO of retail technology company DemandTec, tells the AP shoppers are asking cashiers to give them a running total of their purchases, or to ring up necessities first.

But these shopping changes aren't limited to the physical store as many are abandoning purchases made online as well.

Eric Younan, a Michigan-based publicist, told the AP that he had never abandoned an online purchase prior to the recession, but in just the last few weeks he has dropped out of the online purchase process four times because of extra charges.

"Two years ago, a $10 handling charge wouldn't have fazed me, but now I would just drop it," he said. "Back then, I had more disposable income, and my time was worth money."

A recent consumer trends report from Nielsen seems to back up the AP's claims, as the study finds that over the past year consumers have been increasing their purchases of more basic items - like meat and frozen foods - at grocery stores. According to the U.S. Retailing & Consumer Trends report, the canning and freezing supplies category saw an 18.1 percent increase in sales over the last year while dry mix prepared foods rose 5.2 percent.

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