The tricky ways that stores make us buy MORE

“When you go to your favorite grocery store, do you choose a cart instead of a basket? Hum along to the tune that’s playing? Or accept a sample of the new gouda cheese or pine nut hummus on offer?  If you answered yes to any of the above, you were likely seduced into spending more than you intended. And insidious ploys to get you to open your wallet are also going on at malls, in dressing rooms and on shopping websites across America.”

It’s hard not to be tempted by things at the store, but stores usually create this temptations also.  Stores have huge marketing and research teams to create these temptations, and they usually work.

1. Supersized Carts
   • Bigger carts make shoppers spend 37% more when they shop. Try grabbing a basket instead if you can.  Whenever I shop, if I grab a basket, I ALWAYS spend less.  Because the basket gets heavy quickly, so then I really start to think about what I’m buying, because I don’t feel like carrying it.  This has also helped me watch what I eat.
2. Nostalgic Music
   • With holiday music playing, shoppers tend to spend 17% more then when normal music is playing.  The solution to this is to bring your iPod if the store music tempts you to buy more.
3. Denomination Effect
   •   “A study showed that breaking a $100 bill to make a purchase is 48% harder than spending exactly the same amount using smaller notes.That’s why we don’t mind spending spare change on gum or magazines at the cash register, but won’t necessarily break a $20 to do so: We tell ourselves that we’re spending less when only forking over singles.”
   • I’m exactly like this.  I will not break a $100 bill to save my life.
4. Mirror Manipulation
   • Have you ever bought something at the store and brought it home, only to realize that it looks horrible on you? Chance is that this has happened numerous times.  Many stores use lighting and slimming mirrors to tempt you to buy items.
   • A study showed we spend 19% more if we think we look better in the mirror. Solution – be aware of which stores do this, and try to look at the clothes on you in the open if you can.
5.  Speed Bumps while Shopping
   • I didn’t know this until I read this article, but some retailers have shopping speed bumps.  This causes us to slow down and look around. These speed bumps create around a 15 second delay, which leads to as much as 17% in extra spending.
6. Samples
   • “40% of people who accept an in-store sample will begin buying food.” You might not have been hungry before you went shopping, but now you probably are.  Try to resist the temptation of sampling food, if this will then lead you to buying unnecessary items that you did not go shopping for.
7. Interruptions
   • Many retailers put displays in your way, so that you will notice the item.
8.  Credit Card Discounts
   • We’ve all experienced this before.  Whether at Macy’s, Target or other places, usually the cashier will end the sale with “Would you like to receive 15% of your purchase today?”
   •  Many people love the fact that they will get a discount, but this is a bad idea. Remember that this sales person gets a bonus for signing you up, and when you have the credit card, you will end up spending 30% more at that retailer.

What tricks do you fall into when you shop?