The Checkout Charity Trap

Jonathan Offt

Asking for donations at retail checkout counters is becoming an increasingly common trend,

particularly during this time of the year

Research indicates that such drives, although not a major contributor to driving up sales for

a retailer, is not altogether a wasted effort

Most of it depends on the category of the donation and also on the execution strategies employed

Perry Yeatman, in his article for Philanthropy.com, says that generally, charity at checkout does not tend to

increase spending more or enable the customer to warm up to the retailer

Sometimes, quite the opposite may happen when people feel somewhat

ambushed by the expected pitch when they have their wallets already open

Most people feel guilty and awkward with people standing in line behind them within

hearing range and end up donating to something they probably weren’t even listening

about until the registrar asked for money

A little resentment towards the retailer after this socially-awkward interaction is therefore, warranted

Nowadays, people are more deeply involved in charitable givings than ever before

People tend to research thoroughly about the cause and the organization before fully committing and such surprise petty pitches

on something they may not even be interested in is rarely welcomed

Besides, as more retailers adopt this method, making it a regular check-out custom, people will eventually learn to be indifferent and simply say no

without second thoughts

The ‘Impact per dollar’ knowledge helps the donor understand how their money

will be used and makes them more inclined to whip out their wallets

Short-term techniques like checkout charity will only create short-term donors

Economist James Andreoni, explains that people do not only donate to affect change, but also to

feel positive about themselves afterwards

Impulse charity like checkout charity leaves the donor feeling confused, which is not exactly a

desirable first impression on the people you want to keep dedicated to your cause

Nonetheless, checkout charity is gaining popularity simply because

of how simple it is to implement

The retailers appear generous to the customers without having to invest anything in the charitable cause

For retailers who choose to implement checkout charity, the least they can do is make sure it is a charity

that resonates with the customer on some level

To read full article, visit: !

http://philanthropy.com/blogs/measuring-up/the-ups-and-downs-of-charity-at-the-

checkout-counter/371