photo: Georgi Bidenko, PrahaIN.cz/Prague convenience store, illustration photo
Merchants are always coming up with all kinds of tricks and marketing strategies to attract customers to their stores. Our shopping is influenced not only by the price and the width of the assortment, but also, for example, if we go shopping hungry, what kind of music is playing in the store or what color the product is. What are all the pitfalls waiting for us when we enter the store?
According to dTest’s press release, one of the most striking strategies is the layout of the store itself. Merchants can deliberately place frequently purchased products at the very end of the store, where shoppers have to walk to find them. On the way, he can easily be tempted by one of the cleverly placed products. But the trick is to place well-known brands and more expensive products at eye level, because of which we easily overlook a more affordable alternative. After finding all the necessary items and going to the cash register, the person is then faced with another stress test, which is sweets right in front of the cash registers.
“However, you can easily avoid the tempting layout of the store by strictly following the shopping list,” advises dTest director Eduarda Hekšová in the report.
Paying for purchases only in cash can also be a tip, which can prevent us from impulsive shopping.
The overall lighting of the store is also important when shopping. This can create a feeling of greater cleanliness and improve the appearance of the products themselves. This can be especially problematic when buying clothes, which may later look different on us than they did before in the fitting room.
Psychological pressure when buying
In business, it can be very easy to be manipulated by elaborate marketing strategies. It is therefore a good idea to think carefully about every purchase and thus avoid impulsively buying unnecessary products.
According to the website of the Institute of Law and Legal Science, one of them can be, for example, pressure to buy and induce the feeling that a person has limited time to buy. We can often come across the claims “limited offer” or “limited edition” in stores. When buying online, it can also be a notification about the last items in stock or the number of people who are viewing the product at the same time as us.
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Shopping as a ‘cure’ for frustration
The issue of satisfying one’s own frustration through shopping was previously discussed by psychologist Gabriel Hrustic in the Nevyhorení podcast of the Forbes portal.
“Man fulfills his desires and social status through consumption, but perhaps that is why he misses out on other, more essential things that are part of life and being,” said psychologist Hrustic.
It also describes the current norm of society to have a certain standard, such as housing, a car, household equipment, vacation or even leisure activities.
“That’s why it’s also good to think when shopping: ‘Am I buying this because I need it or do I just want it?’ If we were really radical about only getting what we need, we would suddenly find out how much less we have to spend. We could devote our time to other aspects of life than just making money and spending it,” adds Hrustic in the interview.
