Have you ever walked into a store and left with five extra items you weren’t planning to buy? There’s a reason for that. Marketers know your weaknesses and always seem to have a few sneaky tricks up their sleeve to encourage you to buy more.
Between creating a confusing store layout and fiddling with the numbers on a price tag, there are plenty of marketing tactics designed to make you press “add to cart” one more time. So how can you side-step these pitfalls? Being aware of the psychological tricks used in retail is the easiest way to avoid being taken advantage of and keep your hard-earned cash.
In this article we explore some of the tactics marketers use and what you can do to stop yourself falling for them.
Being sneaky with numbers
Marketers often use slightly smaller numbers when writing prices to make something seem cheaper than it is. Our brains are wired to recognise numbers at such speed that reducing the left digit by one figure will make us think the price is lower than it is. For example, £3.00 becomes £2.99, which only has a difference of one penny, but customers still perceive it as a lower price, and are more likely to buy it.
Making shop layouts harder to navigate
Many retail stores are designed with lots of twists and turns, to give them an almost maze-like feel. This is a manipulative technique to ensure customers spend more time in the store and are exposed to more products, increasing the chance of them buying more than they intended. This method is known as the Gruen transfer and is used all over the world to enhance sales.
Showing visual contrasts between sale prices
You’ll know sale items always have the original price on them, but have you noticed it’s usually in bigger, bolder print than the sale price? Marketers often make the original price of an item which is on sale more obvious, to ensure customers are hyper-aware of the value of the item. This generally makes the item irresistible to consumers, as they feel they’re getting a great bargain.
How to prevent yourself from falling for marketing tactics
Taking advantage of discounts can be a great way to save money while still getting the item you wanted. Many retailers offer special discounts schemes for students or frontline workers. For example, the Argos NHS discounts.
We all know the insanity of trying to buy groceries without a shopping list. Being prepared with a list of what you want to buy will make it easier to stay focused during your shopping experience, no matter whether you choose to visit your local store or order your goods online.
