The effect of weather on consumer spending

 

APRIL 25, 2013 Thursday 

" To Get Consumers to Spend More, Try Turning Up the Lights ! " 

University students who were in a room containing a sun lamp were willing to pay 38% more for green tea, 21% more for a carton of orange juice, 27% more for a gym membership, 29% more for an airline ticket, and 56% more for a newspaper subscription, in comparison with students who were questioned in a room without a sun lamp, says a team led by Kyle B. Murray of the University of Alberta in Canada. 

Sunlight affects mood, which in turn affects spending. Retailers might be able to reduce consumers' negative feelings on bad-weather days by increasing lighting levels, the researchers suggest.

Source: The effect of weather on consumer spending