The term “emotional blackmail” within the context of shopping was most recently seen in 2023 when customers accused stores of emotional blackmail after being asked to tip at self check-out kiosks in airports, cafés and sports stadiums. That same year, the Wall Street Journal published a report that examined customer’s reactions to these prompts, with many saying that they were left feeling frustrated after they had no interaction with staff but were still asked to leave a tip. 2024’s iteration of consumer emotional blackmail, however, is slightly less obvious.

The Season of Consumerism

Summer is the season of being seen. While this time of the year is often associated with warm weather and travel, it is also marketed to consumers as the time to give one’s wardrobe a sartorial reset — convincing customers that last year’s swimwear and beach essentials simply won’t do. Shopping channels, apps and e-commerce platforms use these seasonal months as an opportunity to target relaxed, holiday-ready shoppers with Gen Z being a prime demographic primarily for their prowess in online shopping and usage of digital commerce platforms. The line between encouraging shoppers to dig deeper into their pockets and using emotional guilt as a form of coercion seems to be getting increasingly blurred. From pleasant phrases like the automated reminder of “looks like you left something in your cart”, to anxiety-inducing statements such as “limited-time offer!” and “only a few items left!” to emotional manipulation with “If you really cared, you’d buy this for yourself or someone else” highlights retailers leverage guilt, fear, or anxiety to almost “coerce” consumers into making purchases. However, much like a store clerk hard-selling their wares or promotions to an uncertain customer, a lack of self-awareness could end up having the opposite effect than the one intended.

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Hard Sell ≠ No Sale

Do these underhanded tactics of emotional blackmail truly translate to higher sales and return customers? Statistics by bigcommerce.com show that abandoned cart emails can increase conversion rates due to their personalised content and promotional offers. Cart abandonment emails have a 41.18 percent open rate — outperforming your average marketing email at 21 percent — and are an instrumental tool for brands in recovering lost sales. That being said, the messaging is crucial to the success of the sale.

The push to “call back” customers could be symptomatic of the struggles faced by luxury e-commerce platforms. The market shift away from e-retailers marks a change in consumer preferences alongside the return to brick-and-mortar as luxury brands invest in experiential shopping to regain consumer footfall. This could be why when customers do not complete a purchase or “abandon their cart”, it can trigger what is known as an “abandoned cart email” being sent to the consumer by the site they were visiting, with a coupon for the item left behind or some other promotion if they complete the sale. A statistic for the Baymard Institute showcased that the average cart abandonment rate is a whopping 69.82 percent which was particularly attributed to customer behaviour of window shopping, comparing prices, or saving items on their wishlist. The study went on to note that 47.8 percent of online shoppers in the United States abandon carts because they were “just browsing” resulting in what flodesk.com describes as “every merchant’s nightmare”.

While at first glance, the issue of emotional blackmail via automatic abandoned cart emails may be mitigated with a change in messaging and understanding of consumer patterns, one could argue that millennials are less susceptible to this use of “carrot-dangling” or the aforementioned “emotional blackmail” as millennials have been exposed to various marketing gimmicks for longer, making the generation rather impervious to it. Perhaps it is inherently a millennial’s trope to approach various circumstances with a level of skepticism combined with the growing level of anxiety faced by older generations on getting scammed when making online transactions but emotional blackmail could ultimately see consumers choosing not to check out but rather make a return to brick-and-mortar stores.

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The “FOMO” Effect

@moncler @bellapoarch joined the #MONCLERBUBBLEUP ♬ Bubble (feat Ty Dolla $ign) – 24hrs

The term “FOMO” or “fear of missing out” is further amplified by the use of social media which could make Gen Z consumers more susceptible to the “see-now-buy-now mentality” particularly when making online purchases that are seen or advertised on social media. This goes hand-in-hand with the rise of “influencer marketing” which sees brands now be able to target specific audience groups by cherry-picking the kinds of influencers they wish to collaborate with, gaining access to their new demographics and communities. Social media campaigns specifically target social-media-savvy Gen Zs such as Moncler’s 2020 #MonclerBubbleUp Tiktok challenge, where users had to dance to the tune of a leading rap song (“Bubble” by Ty Dolla $ign) while performing outfit swaps inspired by Moncler apparel, with target influencers being gifted Moncler products to set “aspirational” examples for their user communities. 

This allows brands to promote products in ways that evoke emotional responses amongst their consumer base by emphasising how a product aligns with personal values or social trends. Upon successfully creating “hype” around the product or launch, brands can use tactics like countdown timers or exclusive drops to leverage on the anxiety among consumers of potentially missing out on these sought-after pieces. However, should consumers be unsuccessful in making a purchase due to the popularity, (after participating in a social media challenge or waiting in a digital waiting room queue for hours), what brands are left with are disappointed, emotionally volatile consumers who have no way to vent their anger other than taking it to social media and withdrawing from brands that they perceive to not have their best interests at heart.

Read More: Influencer Marketing: Making Luxury Relatable for Gen Zs

The Era of Backlash, Boycotts and Blacklists

The issue with emotional manipulation is that it can lead to general skepticism towards marketing messages and brands. Brands that heavily rely on emotional blackmail risk backlash, negative reviews, and a tarnished reputation. In May, during the “Blockout Movement” that was aimed at blocking celebrities and brands who were not vocalising their solidarity against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, consumers leveraged the issues brought on by “abandoned carts” by selecting various items and proceeding to checkout without payment. This affected the brand’s algorithm for understanding consumer patterns and product demands.

This highlights a growing push towards ethical awareness and consumption. Consumers crave “authentic” experiences and are starting to question ethical practices, from product sourcing to production transparency, and how it is then marketed to consumers. While generations have been “groomed” to seek validation from materialistic purchases and social media may make us want to emulate the lifestyle of others, shopping channels and apps need to reevaluate their marketing strategies as it might affect their relationship with Gen-Z, particularly in a crowded market where consumers are willing to sacrifice brand loyalty for investing in a brand that aligns with their beliefs.

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