New research shows shoppers are much less likely to buy an article of clothing if they think another person has already touched it.

"People like to touch products, but now we've found that they really don't like it if someone else has touched them first," said Dr. Jennifer Argo a professor in the University of Alberta School of Business.

Not only were shoppers much less inclined to buy a shirt if they believed someone else had already touched it, shoppers also indicated that the value of the product had been diminished if they knew it had been touched.

The researchers also determined that "disgust" was the underlying reason for the participants' opinions, and that the level of disgust increased as the perception of the extent to which the article had been touched or tried on also increased.

The results of the research were published recently in the Journal of Marketing.

 

Argo believes retailers could learn from this study.

"I would eliminate any cues that indicated someone has touched displayed articles," she said.

"I would keep them folded and refold them quickly - as many stores do - and I'd get clothes out of change rooms quickly and eliminate change racks."

"We come into contact with objects that other people have touched all the time, but I guess we never outgrow the simple notion of cooties, especially when we are reminded of them." 

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