Zooming in on Deals: How Visuals and Timing Influence Online Shoppers

By Prof. Candy K Y HO

Who doesn’t love the thrill of a discount—the rush of watching the price drop, seconds ticking away on the screen, knowing that a dream vacation or the latest gadget could be yours with a single click? From Amazon’s Lightning Deals to Kickstarter’s early-backer incentives, e-commerce platforms use time-limited offers to drive sales by tapping into urgency and scarcity. Sadly, the excitement of a purchase often fades when we don’t get what we want right now—something that’s common in offline shopping too, thanks to long delivery times and other delays. But does the same dynamic apply to online deals? A recent study[1] says yes. And, interestingly, it suggests sellers can use a simple tool—image zooming—to keep excitement high and consumers on.

As online shoppers know, many deals feature countdown timers next to product descriptions, urging quick action. But lead time—the delay between purchase and delivery—can dull that sense of urgency. Whether it’s the shipping time for physical goods, advance bookings for services, or redemption windows for perishable items, lead times can stretch from days to months. Since consumers prefer shorter waits, minimising lead time is key to keeping a deal’s appeal. But how can this be done when delays are often unavoidable?

Building on insights from Construal Level Theory (CLT)—which explains how psychological distance affects decision-making—researchers looked at how adjusting product image zoom levels could influence consumer perception of online deals. According to CLT, both time and proximity shape how we evaluate offers: zooming in should work best for short deal times, while zooming out would support deals with longer lead times. By matching image zoom with deal timing, sellers can make products feel more appealing and, ultimately, easier to sell.

To test this, a number of university students participated in a series of experiments based on an initial set-up in which they viewed online deals for items like yogurt, sandwiches, ice cream, and sushi. Participants were randomly shown either a zoomed-in or zoomed-out version of the product images with a brief description, displayed for 30 seconds. The zoom-in images were twice as close up as the zoom-out ones, providing a more detailed look at the product. The subsequent experiments were variations of this initial setup to further explore how zoom levels influenced buying behaviour.

The results? Tweaking product images can make or break an online deal by shaping how “close” or “distant” it feels. Zooming out eases the frustration of long wait times, triggering a “feeling right” effect that makes deals more appealing, while zooming in reinforces urgency when the product will arrive soon. Instead of keeping images static, sellers should adjust zoom levels based on both deal timing and product availability. The key is psychological fit: Get it right, and conversions go up. Overdo it, and zooming can backfire—making the product look distorted or unrealistic.

Meanwhile, as always, whether online or offline, buyers should beware and remember to keep the zoom where it belongs—firmly on their wallet!