The study

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute conducted this evaluation in 2017. The study aimed to assess whether the Shopper Stopper online tool was able to protect shoppers from compulsive online spending, stimulate more mindful online shopping choices, and help users engage with financial planning advice and support. The study used a mixed-method approach, including:

• Analysis of Google Analytics data based on over three hundred users engaging with the trial
• An online survey completed by 23 users.

Initial testing and feedback was drawn from Money and Mental Health’s Research Community in 2016, involving volunteers with lived experience of mental health problems. Follow-up surveys were emailed to the 300 individuals participating in the trial.

Key findings

The study identifies the following key findings:

• 85% of users who tried to visit an online shop during the closing hours they had chosen, navigated away after seeing the block message.
• Users became more aware of times and situations when they were more likely to overspend, and the tool helped change these behaviours.
• A quarter of users (26%) followed signposting for advice and support about money management to the Money Advice Service during the first two months of the trial.

The study also identified policy lessons for (ISPs), as follows:

• . Support customers to delay processing or require second approval on purchases.
• Encourage users to set regular spending limits on online retail accounts or payment cards.
• Users should be able to:
• Close online shops at times of their choosing and opt out of targeted marketing
  • Block certain types of purchases on their credit or debit card using merchant category codes
  • Freeze payment cards at certain times, or block online spending altogether
  • Block online retail completely at ISP level.

Following the publication of the evaluation report, Money and Mental Health Policy Institute approached the chief executives of 32 leading financial services and retail firms, with a request to implement new spending controls.

Points to consider

• • Only 23 users engaged with the follow-up survey, and the evaluation was therefore unable to report on quantitative findings. The evaluation therefore relies on qualitative responses provided by survey respondents, demonstrating how users interacted with the Shopper Stopper and its effect on their spending habits. Although providing valuable insights, the findings are not therefore representative of the wider population. A larger-scale evaluation would be needed to robustly report on the effectiveness of the tool.
  • The author does not explicitly specify geographical coverage. However, as the research was conducted by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute online, it can be inferred that respondents were drawn from across the United Kingdom.
• • The evaluation was too small in scale for inferences to be made to the wider population, and therefore caution should be used in generalising from the results.
  • Although demographic data was not collected during the signup process, data collected via Google Analytics was used to estimate the profile of users. There were no substantial differences in use of the tool by gender. Take-up of the tool during the trial was highest amongst 25-34 year olds, and lowest amongst the over 65s. The findings may therefore be more relevant to providers supporting certain age groups.

Full report

The Shopper Stopper: an evaluation - full research