Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Brands and retailers could increase their sales by simply using more transparent packaging for desirable items, according to new research co-authored by Bayes Business School and Vienna University of Economics and Business. The findings are published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing . Customers rely on many cues when choosing a product to purchase, including brand name, convenience, price, size and item description. The new findings show that visibility of a product also influences purchasing decisions, with transparent windows or cutouts in packaging creating greater psychological affinity for shoppers where a product is visually appealing and when the buyer is purchasing for themselves. Across seven independent studies, more than 2,000 participants reviewed identical products packaged either with or without a transparent window. Further tests examined effects across different product categories and packaging materials.…