> Maybe people want to rush their purchases when in a crowd?
Anecdotally, that does align with my experience. I tend to try to shop off hours, but now stores try to cram soo much into their brick 'n mortar footprint that even light foot traffic is a claustrophobic experience.
For me, the inability to freely navigate a crowded store and the short mean time between interruption (where you have to move because someone else wants to get by or look at the same thing), curb my desire to linger and peruse. I make my plan, I get in, I get out. And that's only when I can't order for pickup/delivery to avoid navigating the store entirely.
Yup, this is me. I have poor impulse control, so if shopping is easy my impulses take over and I buy stuff I want but don't need.
If the place is crowded then shopping is annoying and hard, and my impulse says to get the things I need and leave. I'm more likely to leave without things I need (eh, do I really want to trudge back across the store for milk or can I just deal with black coffee?)
Anecdotally, that does align with my experience. I tend to try to shop off hours, but now stores try to cram soo much into their brick 'n mortar footprint that even light foot traffic is a claustrophobic experience.
For me, the inability to freely navigate a crowded store and the short mean time between interruption (where you have to move because someone else wants to get by or look at the same thing), curb my desire to linger and peruse. I make my plan, I get in, I get out. And that's only when I can't order for pickup/delivery to avoid navigating the store entirely.