17 Tricks Used By Shopping Places To Make You Buy More

Malls, shopping complex and supermarkets are places that we visit on regular basis, for reasons that can be as trivial as evading boredom to necessity as in stocking up your grocery. But at times, this leisurely activity leaves you with hands full of bags and credit card full of debts. Retail market is more then selling of goods, it’s a knack of persuading customers to buy more and they do this by feeding our weaknesses.

These tricks, however small, tap into our brain at subconscious level when compiled strategically. Let’s see some tricks of the trade:

1. Mall architecture – a mouse in a maze

First to ease the customers into the grandeur of shopping, malls have a buffer zone called decompression zone that helps shoppers to settle from the transition of outside world into shopping mode. Hence the entrance area is allotted for salons, ATM and other business services.

Now time for scripted disorientation! Finding yourself lost in shopping complex is an often experience that is because they are built on blue prints that makes navigation a difficult task. The confusion results in wandering and getting exposed to much more retail stores than you planned for. The disorientation removes the ability to act with intention, leading to impulse buying.

2. Malls have no clocks

When it comes to shopping, hours seems minutes and it’s suddenly night fall when you step out of the complex. This is because shopping malls play with your perception of time. With bright lights, minimal windows, no clocks and a regulated temperature you are in a world where time ceases to exist.

3. Floors and walls slow you down

Watch out your steps for they are maneuvered. Department stores make use of the difference between carpet and linoleum to subtly steer customers around and hold them in certain places. Also placing mirrors is a well proven technique to slow down the traffic as some innate human nature such as vanity comes to play.

The concept of slowing down customers is to increase the time spent at the isle because more you spend time the more you tend to buy. Even smooth polished floors do the trick!

4. Science behind trolley

Trolley may seem like a boon while you shuffle around supermarket. But did you know they are helpers with a payment! The size of trolley or basket is larger than required so with the concept of “there is plenty of space left”, you tend to buy more. Also some trolleys have a squeaking sound which indicates buyers that they are moving fast and need to slow down, giving them an opportunity to browse more.

5. Sense of smell

Retailers use something called as Olfactory marketing where scents are used to set a mood, promote products or position a brand. Most commonly used is the citrus smell in supermarkets that fools customers into thinking that everything in there is fresh; baby powder makes you feel safe and secure; lavender, vanilla and chamomile helps you relax, also floral aroma makes you browse longer and spend more time.

And what more! Neurologists have found that we tend to pay more when things smell nice.

6. The effect of music

You don’t need a scientist to tell you that music is hardwired to human emotions as it triggers the release of dopamine that influences your mood. As shoppers walk with the tempo of the music, shopping complex deliberately play slow songs so that they linger for longer time. But the opposite is employed for restaurants where upbeat, fast songs are played so that you eat faster and leave earlier.

7. Sense of sight

What best can be used to entice you than your own eye sight. Same as music, colours also tend to evoke feelings and retailers use it for their advantage. Like colour red is always associated with sale or offers because red stimulates a sense of alert and helps shoppers to take action. Studies say the colour of a brand logo improves brand recognition by 80%.

Apple, the brand itself stands at creating an image as “state-of-the-art” lifestyle. And Apple stores make best use of sensory marketing by intensifying communication with customers through their senses, as customers get a taste of how life can be with a half eaten apple in their hands.

8. Eye level, buy level

Retail space planning is called planogram. It is a diagram indicating the positioning of specific product on shelves. The high profit margin items are sold by placing them at eye level, the not-so-expensive products are at top shelf and the once with good deal are at the bottom shelves. This simply works because we tend to grab the first thing that catches our eye.

9. Anchoring method

Price Anchoring is a method where in the customer chooses the exact product and at the exact price which the retailer wishes for. This works with a frame of reference, as a product is truly never “cheap” or “expensive” until it is compared to something.

In this the expensive things are placed between very expensive items and people will buy the expensive thing as the anchor in this case is very expensive item. Retailers use this trick to promote their own brand by placing their cheap product against other expensive brands.

10. Necessary items spread in remote corner

Mostly we storm into supermarkets in search of milk, egg or bread and sometimes all the three. But they are never there welcoming us at the entrance of the shop. As they are placed at the end of the isle or remote corner and in their search we get exposed to other items on display. And in no time we are paying for goods we had no intention of buying before leaving the house.

11. Point of sale – cash counters

Waiting at the cash counter, it’s a tendency that your eyes loiter and just then a basket full of socks or handkerchief or packets of chips reminds you that they are a necessity too. Impulse oriented items are always near the check outs. And what best to pacify a bored child than some chocolates or sponge balls at the counter. Though seem of small value, every penny earned add to their profit.

12. Fresh Vs stale

To sell near expiry items is again a challenge and a necessity for shop owners and we are their baits. Perishable food item like fruits, vegetables, breads are always stocked in a manner where in, the fresh once are at the bottom or in the back of the shelves and we end up picking the stale food.

13. Cross selling

“Madam, would you like to see some jeans for this top?” We often come across such similar conversation with sales people, even though you had no intention of buying a new pair of jeans but the suggestion is something you would consider. Here the practice of cross selling is in play, where in, a complimentary product is suggested to the customer.

Also the products are classified on bases of brands and categories in order to push complimentary sales. Just as you stop to buy some snacks, the beverages are just placed nearby and the combo seems complete.

14. Decoy pricing

Similar to anchoring, here what works is the additional mid price. Let’s consider popcorn bucket, if there is a small and a large popcorn bucket with rates 20/- and 50/- respectively, most people will buy the small one. However, if a medium bucket with rate 45/- is added most people will buy the larger one, with the consideration of a small price difference of 5/-. Here the medium popcorn bucket is just a decoy.

15. Buy 1 get 1 Vs 50% Off

The concept of something being free is more tantalizing than paying half the actual price, even though the amount of money which is paid for both the sales is identical. This being one of the reason, the other reason that buy 1 get 1 is more used is that, it is structured to make us buy more, as people buy 2 items instead of buying one at half rate.

16. Flash of limited offers

The tag line that works on every human being is the ‘once in a life time opportunity’ which is well used in retail market. A person will function just fine without the items in this offer but the nagging thought of “limited time offer” makes even a sane person think twice. This marketing tactic makes a consumer feel like they’ll miss out on a great opportunity if they don’t buy it now.

17. Odd-even pricing; the magic of number 9

Ever thought, why prices end with 99/- instead of just saying 100/-? Well it’s all to do with human psychology, the product seem more appealing when it stays right under the next whole number. The consumers’ tend to round price down, meaning a 6999/- item feels closer to 6000/- than to 7000/-. In other words ‘9’ has transcended the status of charm price!

Thus shopping malls are nothing less than an Enchantress with bewitching powers over shoppers!