No, I'm not writing about the 1980 song by Bruce Springsteen - though you can give a listen to a live version of The Boss below.
I am writing about data from the Journal of Consumer Research that warns that if you want to avoid unnecessary purchases, keep your hands off the goods.
There's a psychological reason why you are encouraged to "Test Drive", "Taste This", "Try This On" and so on. When touch is involved, the connection of ownership exponentially rises.
So, unless you have amazing will power, you can look but you better not touch.
Peck, J., & Shu, S. (2009). The Effect of Mere Touch on Perceived Ownership Journal of Consumer Research DOI: 10.1086/598614
