Insight of the Week

Minimize Padding in Cheap Catalogs

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Nick Kolenda
Last updated October 6, 2023
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Two assortments of products. The spacious assortment looks expensive

Overview

Do you have a digital catalog?

In physical stores, the amount of space influences prices: A lot of empty space? Managers need to raise prices to pay for this real estate.

Ironically, customers bring this logic into digital catalogs. Online products seem more expensive when surrounded by more padding, even though this space doesn't cost anything (Huang et al., 2019).

How to Apply

  • Restrict Padding to Convey Good Deals. Cluttered websites sometimes convert better — and now it makes sense. Low prices are found in messy stores, and customers bring this idea into online shopping.
  • Expand Padding to Boost Quality. Do your customers prioritize quality over price? Embrace the free real estate in your ecommerce store.
  • Adjust Padding in Catalogs and Images. The space between rows and columns, along with the space around product images.
  • Charge Precise Prices in Tight Catalogs. Prices like $18.49, $23.99, and $19.01 convert better than $18.50, $24.00, and $19.00 when catalogs have less padding (Hou & Gong, 2024).

Examples

  • Walmart crams four products in each row.
  • Gap shows three products.
  • Balenciaga shows three products, but adds more space in the images.
Three catalogs ordered by space. Walmart is tightest, Gap is in the middle, Balenciaga is most spacious.

Other New Stuff

  • Prices and Font Sizes - I added new research to my tactic on prices and font sizes. It offers more guidance on how to use this technique.
  • Frequent Paychecks Increase Spending - In a study with 30,000 banking customers, people spend more if they get paid more frequently. Regardless of the amount. If you get paid more frequently, you believe that you possess more funds to pay for goods and services (De La Rosa & Tully, 2022).
  • Lonely Customers Prefer Angular Shapes - They prefer sharp fonts, logos, products, app icons, and other design elements (Chen, Jiao, Fan, & Li, 2021).