Use Loneliness to Sell Used Merchandise

In a used bookstore, the researchers found a higher percentage of people shopping by themselves than when the count was done in a bookstore selling new books. University students sitting alone were more likely than those sitting with a companion to select a fancier slightly used pen over a less fancy brand-new pen as a reward. When people were asked if they were spending Valentine’s Day with a romantic partner, those who said no were more likely to select a used item than were those who said yes. But that was true only for those asked the question on Valentine’s Day. People asked about a Valentine’s Day date two weeks later were equally likely to select a used over a new item regardless of their answer.
     Do you detect a pattern here? Those researchers—from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University of Chicago—say it has to do with situational loneliness. Used products are perceived to contain the essence of the previous owner so they provide social connectedness. It’s related to the phenomenon in which shoppers will pay a bonus for mundane items that have been used by famous people.
     The effect was seen for situational loneliness, but not clearly among people who consider themselves chronically lonely. The effect was seen when potential owners were told the item had been given away, but not when they were told the previous owner had rejected the product.
     Also, the preservation of essence can operate to discourage interest. The researchers point to a study showing how people would enjoy wearing a shirt formerly worn by someone they find attractive, but would reject wearing a shirt from a random stranger. I’ll add to that how the reports of $14,000 paid on eBay for gum said to have been chewed by Brittany Spears should not be taken to mean the new owners wanted to try chewing the gum themselves.
     Other experiments find that loneliness motivates people to use items they themselves have used in the past. Here, the explanation has more to do with nostalgia than regarding purchases of secondhand merchandise. In one study, participants played a ball-tossing game. Participants told they’d been dropped from the game became more likely to say that belonging is important to them. They also made more consumer choices reminding them of their personal history. This included preferences regarding automobiles, food brands, TV shows, and even shower soap.

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