A window of opportunity: transparent packaging affects product preference via psychological ownership

• Consumers prefer products in transparent packaging over the same products in opaque packaging. • This effect is mediated by psychological ownership for the product. • The effect is attenuated when the product is low in desirability and when ownership is not expected, i.e. when the product is bought for someone else. Transparent packaging allows consumers to view and inspect the product. We suggest that transparent packaging reduces the psychological barrier between a product and its prospective consumers, and we propose that transparency allows for a more intimate bond with the product and thus increases product preference compared to opaque packaging. In seven studies, we find that consumers prefer products that can be seen through transparent packaging and that psychological ownership plays an important role in this. Drawing on this theory, we also provide evidence for relevant boundary conditions: The preference for products in transparent packaging is reduced when the unpackaged product would be undesirable, and when ownership is not expected (i.e., when the product is bought for someone else). These results extend prior accounts based on packaging attractiveness and product information, they advance the literature on psychological ownership, and they provide valuable insights for practitioners