Consumer trends: Dopamine shops and smart cart spending

New consumer trends and technologies are reshaping the shopping experience. In South Korea, ‘dopamine shops’ have emerged as a trend. These platforms simulate the entire online shopping process—scrolling through products, reading reviews, adding items to a cart, and tracking a shipment—without any actual transaction or delivery occurring. Media psychology expert Jan Michael Rasimus suggests these simulations may help curb impulsive spending by satisfying the psychological desire for the ‘shopping experience’ and the anticipation of reward without the financial cost.

In the physical retail sector, a study conducted at a large German supermarket chain examined the impact of ‘Smart Carts.’ Analyzing over 12,000 transactions, researchers found that users of these digital shopping carts spent an average of 32 percent more than non-users. These customers also purchased 25 percent more items and spent 23 percent more time in the store. While the study shows a strong correlation between smart cart usage and higher spending, researchers noted it does not definitively prove that the technology causes the increased expenditure.