10 Common Tricks Stores Use On Customers

10 Common Tricks Stores Use On Customers

10/22/07

1.) Keep 'em in the store longer- The single biggest factor in determining how much a shopper will spend is how long they stay in the store. Stores will do whatever they can to slow you down-they use things like soft, soothing music and lighting to relax you and slow down your pace. The less shoppers blink, the more relaxed they are, and the slower they go. The reason the aisles of the produce section wind all over the place is so people will slow down and buy more.

2.) Increase the number of impulse buys- More than 2 out of every 3 items we purchase are impulse buys. Stores are set up by retailers to encourage shoppers to buy more stuff on the spur of the moment. Examples: The candy display at the checkout counter, and in the produce section, shortcake and whipped cream are displayed next to fresh strawberries.

3.) Sell to the kids, and the parents will buy- Studies showed that pet treats and cereals are often picked out by kids. These items used to be on the top shelves and kids used to climb the shelves to reach the boxes. When the stores moved the cereal and pet treats to the middle shelves where kids could reach them, sales went up overnight.

4.) Exploit the human element- The number one thing shoppers look at is other people. That's why some of the most effective signs in fast food places are the ones sitting at eye level on top of cash registers. When customers look at the cashier, they see a sign. Smart sign placement is a definite way to increase sales.

5.) Mix up the merchandise- With there being many different varieties of soup, possibly hundreds, on display at the soup section, you would think stores would alphabetize the soups so we could find what we wanted more easily. Stores mix up the different soups on purpose, so shoppers will have to scan all over the shelf for the flavor they want. In the meantime, their eyes light on all kinds of specialty soups they never knew existed.

6.) Silence the cash registers- The noisy cash registers have been replaced by a register that hums instead of clangs. Purring cash registers and buy-now, pay-later credit cards soften the impact of spending, which means higher volume per customer for stores (and higher credit card debt for customers.)

7.) Communicate in sign language- Think of a store as a 3-D TV commercial. In effect, the store is a walk-in container for the words, thoughts, messages, and ideas that stores want shoppers to receive. Well-placed signs and strong messages can dramatically increase a store's profits. If everything inside the store is working right, the signs grab the shoppers' attention and induce them to look and shop and buy some more. The job with the signs is to figure out what to say and when and how to say it.

8.) Make 'em walk but not wait- Buyers who are on a mission won't take time to shop until their mission is accomplished. That's why stores put their pharmacies in the back of the store. Customers looking to pick up a prescription will go straight to the back, ignoring every sign and display until their mission is accomplished. It's futile to try to sell them anything until they complete their task. Once customers get their prescription, they have to walk all the way back to the front of the store. Savvy stores place signs and displays facing the back of the store so that people coming from the pharmacy will be tempted with impulse buys.

9.) Feed 'em for "free" and they'll line up to pay for it- Watch out for people in supermarkets handing out "free" samples. Up to 90% of shoppers who try certain products will buy them (impulse buy). Guilt plays a factor in shoppers who feel obligated to buy a product they just received for "free". Stores don't care how sampling works, they just know it increases sales.

10.) Start 'em young- stores are like tobacco companies- they want to start you young and hook you for life. That's why so many stores are designed with kids in mind. Junk food, cereal, cookies, and snack foods are displayed about 4 feet off the ground, right at a child's eye level.