With less than one month before the holidays, many of us are gearing up for the annual Christmas shopping extravaganza. We’re highlighting five articles you won’t want to miss before hitting the shops.

In the new year, we invest more into health products – but they are not necessarily green

Whether it’s to finally pick up running or get more organized, many of us are making New Year’s resolutions. One such might be to shop and live more environmentally friendly by changing the products we consume. But do consumer habits change when we swap calendars?

Writing in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers in the UK compared retail survey and purchasing data in January and the other months of the year, focusing on ‘green’ varieties, self-enhancing health products, and total sales.

They found that more health-enhancing products were sold in January compared to the rest of the year. However, consumers also purchased fewer green products compared to the other months. This could be due to economizing to save money after a time of intensive shopping. Even environmentally concerned customers who routinely bought green products throughout the year did not buy more green products in January. This could mean that while many people resolve to switch to greener habits in the new year, this does not reflect in purchasing decisions, irrespective of the level of concern for the environment, the authors wrote.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1550091/full

We might mind those one-star reviews less when buying for acquaintances, not friends

When buying gifts online, we might be guided by the reviews previous consumers left. These reviews, however, can be vastly different from reviewer to reviewer, based on individual experiences. Yet, they can impact the purchasing intentions of those looking to buy.

Researchers in China examined how inconsistent reviews and social distance can influence purchase intentions when shopping online. They published their results in Frontiers in Psychology.

They found that people who were shopping for those outside of their immediate circle minded negative information in inconsistent online comments less than when they were buying for people they had close relationships with. This resulted in higher purchase intentions of inconsistently reviewed products when shopping for acquaintances. When shopping for close friends or family members, potential buyers paid more attention to the specific details of online reviews, especially focusing on the negative information contained in them, which led to a lower purchase intention. This might be part of the reason why some gift products sold online have received many negative comments but have been selling well nonetheless, the authors wrote.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579545/full

Parcel lockers could improve delivery efficiency - but there’s a catch

As much of our shopping has moved online, efficient ways to get products to consumers are more important than ever before, and reducing delivery bottlenecks, especially during busy shopping seasons, is vital. Last mile delivery – the final distance from delivery centers to customers’ hands – is often considered the most challenging and resource-intensive stage, and parcel lockers may play a strategically important role to ensure timely delivery.

In a recent Frontiers in Future Transportation paper, researchers in the UK reviewed 86 articles to gain a deeper understanding of the current research landscape on parcel lockers worldwide.

Their review showed that parcel lockers are convenient for consumers and improve accessibility. They also have a significant impact on the urban economy, the environment, and social development. For example, parcel lockers significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing travel distance and time. The extent of these benefits, however, varies greatly between regions and the identified benefits mostly pertain to urban areas compared to rural regions with lower population densities. The team pointed out that continued innovation will be necessary to fully realize the potential of parcel lockers across geographic and socio-economic settings.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/future-transportation/articles/10.3389/ffutr.2025.1654621/full

Generous giving could come easier when charity branding fits donor ideals

The end of the year is considered a time of giving by many, which may include gifts to family and friends but also donating to charities whose causes we support. Non-profits find themselves in a position where they must compete for attention and support. To earn both they must convincingly present themselves and what they do.

In the US, researchers writing in Frontiers in Communication examined how compatibility between donors’ ideal charities and actual charities influence how generously people give.

They found that if donors feel like a non-profit’s brand identity aligns closely with their ideal brand image, they are more likely to give generously. This highlights how the strategic importance of brand personality extends into the non-profit sector and shows the relevance of emotional engagement in charitable behavior, the authors wrote. In a setting where loyalty, perceptions of legitimacy, and mission authenticity are key, non-profits could use these results in marketing campaigns to engage existing and prospective donors more effectively and ultimately increase donations, the study concluded.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1682863/full

Paying by card could lead to ‘riskier’ shopping decisions

When plagued by choice during shopping, previous research has shown that people tend to choose the ‘middle option’ to maximize gains and minimize losses, a phenomenon known as the compromise effect.We also know that people generally are more willing to buy higher priced items when paying cashless, as ‘the pain of paying’ makes handing over physical money more difficult.

Researchers in China and Taiwan tested whether payment forms and product type influence the compromise effect. The results were published in Frontiers in Psychology.

They found that when people ‘paid’ in cash in imaginary situations, they opted for the mid-price range more often than when paying with card as the pain of paying was greater when paying in cash. The results also showed that pain of paying outweighed product type and attributes as reason for the reduced compromise effect. Credit card payments, on the other hand, may prompt consumers to focus on the benefits of the product and reduce their likelihood of resorting to the middle option. The authors pointed out that in this study the products up for choice were low-priced, and that higher price points could introduce additional decision-making complexities, which might lead to different consumer choices.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517460/full

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