Sneaky Ways Retailers Use Science To Trick You Into Buying More Stuff

We’d like to think that we’re in control of our consumption habits. But anyone who’s ever walked out of Whole Foods with two heavy bags in their hands when they had intended to buy only a cucumber knows that this isn’t always the case.

Retailers know that we’re vulnerable to a number of influences when considering our purchases — and they’ve made a whole science out of optimizing the shopping experience. Many retailers manipulate nearly every aspect of our time in their inviting spaces — from the layout and smell of the store to the price of the items to the behavior of the salespeople — in order to separate you from as much of your money as possible.

Here are seven ways that consumers are using psychology to dupe you into buying more stuff.

They appeal to our emotions using round numbers.

If you’re trying to save money, think twice before you try that hand lotion or pick through a pile of sweaters. According to 2009 research, consumers who touch products will pay more for them than those who keep their hands off. Apparently, putting our hands on things makes us feel a greater sense of ownership over them.

“When you touch something, you instantly feel more of a connection to it,” study co-author Suzanne Shu, a marketing professor at UCLA told TIME. “That connection stirs up an emotional reaction — ‘Yeah, I like the feel of it. This can be mine.’ And that emotion can cause you to buy something you never would have bought if you hadn’t touched it.”

They use music to get you in the mood to spend.

While careful consumers buy less than usual when music is playing in a store, research has shown that impulse shoppers tend to be swayed by a good beat. A 2005 study found that shoppers who made unplanned purchases spent an average of $32 more when slow-tempo popular music was playing than those in a control condition with no music.

The Huffington Post