Window shopping: Research finds transparent product packaging heightens our sense of ownership

Brands and retailers could increase their sales by simply using more transparent packaging for desirable items, according to new research co-authored by Bayes Business School and Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Customers rely on many cues when choosing a product to purchase, including brand name, convenience, price, size and item description. The new findings show that visibility of a product also influences purchasing decisions, with transparent windows or cut-outs in packaging creating greater psychological affinity for shoppers where a product is visually appealing and when the buyer is purchasing for themselves.

Across seven independent studies, more than 2,000 participants reviewed identical products packaged either with or without a transparent window. Further tests examined effects across different product categories and packaging materials.

The studies, co-authored by Zachary Estes, Professor of Marketing at Bayes, show:

• Consumers prefer transparent windows for products before considering packaging colour or brand labelling: when presented with an image containing one red and one blue pack of cookies, randomly assigned so that one had a transparent window and the other did not, participants were more likely to choose transparent variations of both. Similarly, when presented with two identical gold pouches of gummy bears with different brand labelling, again with either one or the other containing a transparent window, participants favoured transparent packaging.
• Transparent packaging is favoured even if visual inspection is not required: participants were asked if they would select a pictured transparent or opaque pack of a commodity item with little visual information – ground cinnamon. Even when the package content was not visually informative, participants still preferred transparent packaging, albeit to a lesser extent than for treats or cravings.
• Transparency heightens a psychological sense of ownership: when presented with an image of an identical mug in either concealed or partially cut-out packaging, participants indicated both greater purchase intention and sense of perceived ownership for the cutout version.
• It is this psychological ownership, and not the attractiveness or informativity of packaging, that drives purchase intentions: each participant was shown a pack of muesli either with or without a transparent window, and rated their intention to purchase, attractiveness, knowledge of the product and sense of ownership for the product. Although transparent windows were reported to be more attractive and provide greater information on the product, only psychological ownership was a significant factor in participants’ indicative intention to purchase.
• Psychological ownership is higher when products are visually desirable: when given one of four pictures of either transparent or opaque packaging for trail mix or vegetable stew, transparent packaging increased the feeling of psychological ownership of the mix but not the stew, suggesting transparent packaging does not increase purchase intention for visually unappealing products.
• Psychological ownership is also higher when purchased for ourselves: using images of the same cookie packs from the first study, participants were asked to either choose a pack for themselves or for somebody else. Transparent packaging influenced their decision-making when it was for themselves but not for others.

Findings from the research suggest transparent packaging breaks down barriers between consumer and product, enforcing our desire for ownership.

Professor Zachary Estes said:

“Our research offers a valuable opportunity for the retail sector and insights into how consumers build emotional connections with products.

“Over seven independent studies, we show how items in transparent rather than opaque packaging affect choices and intention to buy a variety of food and non-food products, with various packaging materials and window types.

“Despite this, so many of the most enticing products we see online or in-store are in opaque packaging, thereby limited the opportunity they have to draw additional emotional desire from customers and motivation for ownership.

“Our findings therefore create a new dimension for retailers and marketers when considering the most appropriate and revenue-driving packaging for their products.”

‘A window of opportunity: transparent packaging affects product preference via psychological ownership’ by Dr Eva Marckhgott, Professor Bernadette Kamleitner and Professor Zachary Estes is published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The total number of participants was 2,157.
2. A pre-analysis of 867 stock-keeping units of nuts, trail mix and seeds for Kroger’s, the online shop in the United States, found that 62% of items were in fully opaque packaging, with 25% containing a transparent window and 13% in fully transparent packaging.