Advance Consumer Benefits with Advance Ordering

The same person purchases differently when expecting future consumption rather than immediate consumption. Usually, the introduction of delivery delays results in higher quality choices.
     University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University researchers compared the calorie counts of meals ordered by students either before or after class, with the meal to be delivered right after class. Meals ordered before class averaged lower calories counts—especially when it came to desserts and beverages—than those meals ordered after class. Satisfaction with the ordered meal was similar for the two groups, so the upshot is that advance ordering resulted in healthier behavior.
     The delays in these studies varied between 30 minutes and three hours. When we move toward longer delays and move beyond edibles, we see additional evidence of longer-term benefits for the consumer when using advance ordering. Customers shopping for a product or service targeted for future consumption pay special attention to the distinctive features. But when they plan to put the item to work promptly, they're especially interested in ease of use. When, for instance, people are looking at software they'll start using in a few months, they give great weight to the range of capabilities of the software. However, if they plan to start using the software within a few days, their primary criterion is ease of learning the software.
     About one month prior to the graduation ceremony at a college, researchers at Columbia University and Singapore Management University described to groups of juniors and seniors at the college two sorts of apartments, then asked each of the students to say which apartment they’d prefer if actually renting it upon graduation.

• A small apartment attractively decorated, with pretty views out the windows 
• A large apartment located close to activities the graduate enjoys 

     The college seniors were more likely to select the first alternative than were the college juniors, whose graduation was further in the future. The researchers suspected this is because decisions on purchases consumers plan to use soon are based on emotional assessments. On the other hand, the research evidence suggested, if the consumers won’t be using the purchase for some time, they’ll place more importance on an objective, non-emotional assessment.
     Encouraging advance orders helps your store meet demand smoothly. It also smooths the way for your customers to achieve greater benefits in the long run.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

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