February 2026

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 feb 2026

'Checkout charity', the concept of stores seeking charitable donations at the time of customer's checking out (paying bill for their shopping), is a common practice and has shown some success. Research study by Élodié Manthé from Université Savoie Mont Blanc (France) suggests that this concept can have negative impact as some customers might feel embarassed at this situation. Study from University of Adelaide Business School's academics, 'Doing good but feeling bad: How checkout donation requests might backfire for retailers by eliciting negative emotional and cognitive consumer response' (Authors: Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, David Matthews, Sally Rao Hill, Ying Zou), published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, suggests that customers in this situation often don't feel happy about it and feel pressured, guilty, anxious and pushed into making a decision they did not plan to make. Researchers found that consumers who experienced negative emotions as a result of being asked to donate at the checkout were: less willing to donate, less satisfied with their shopping experience and more critical of the retailer. Authors explain, 'This creates both time pressure (feeling rushed) and social pressure (feeling judged), two factors that can make customers feel bad. As a result, they are less likely to experience a positive emotion of doing a good deed — or what researchers call the 'warm glow' effect.' Authors suggest - Introduce information about the donation request early in the shopping journey using posters or flyers; Design payment screens that allow customers to choose privately; Communicate clearly and transparently about how the money is collected, where it goes and what impact it makes.' Read on...

The Conversation: 'Checkout charity' requests often backfire, leaving shoppers feeling guilty: New study
Authors: Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, David Matthews, Sally Rao Hill, Ying Zou

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