7 Sneaky Ways Retailers Make You Spend More ...

You may be determined to only spend a certain amount at the store, but there are sneaky ways retailers make you spend more. And if you're not aware of these tactics, you could leave a store paying more than anticipated. Here are seven sneaky ways retailers make you spend more.

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1. Larger Shopping Carts

Increasing the size of shopping carts is one of several sneaky ways retailers make you spend more money. If you've noticed bigger shopping carts in recent years, it's not your imagination. In fact, some retail stores have even eliminated handheld shopping baskets. This tactic is ingenious. With a bigger cart, there's more room for impulse buys.

2. Happy Music -- Especially during the Holidays

Whether you're in a grocery store or the mall, it's not unusual to hear upbeat music playing over the loudspeaker. This music enhances your shopping experience, and it tricks you into spending more. As a matter of fact, music that makes up happier increases the likelihood that we'll spend more. A recent study revealed that holiday music can increase spending by as much as 17%.

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3. Buy One, Get One Half off

It might seem like the perfect deal, but unless you're actually in the market for two of a particular item, this is another way retailers get you to spend money. You probably only need one item. Or, you can wait until both items are on sale and spend less than if you paid regular price for one and half price for the other.

4. Luxury Items Placed Next to a Cheaper Item

If you're not careful, it's easy to fall for this trick. Some retailers use product placement to get retailers to spend more. They'll position an expensive or luxury item next to an less expensive alternative. But here's the thing, the inexpensive item might be overpriced; however, situated next to the luxury item, it looks like a bargain.

5. Asked to Download the Smartphone App

Just about every retail or restaurant has a smartphone app, and at checkout you're encouraged to download the app. However, this app is one of the sneakiest ways retailers get you to spend more. Often times, the app features advertisements, promotions and sales; and sometimes, customers who have the app are privy to exclusive promotions. Either way, the app is designed to bring you back into the store.

6. Free Shipping to Your Home

Some people don't shop online, or they limit online purchases because shipping costs are expensive. Retailers know this, and to encourage online shopping, they may offer free shipping. From a buyer's perspective, it's a good deal. But when some retailer offer free shipping, chances are that the products are priced slightly higher to compensate for this freebie.

7. Extra Coupon Deals

This happened to me just last week. At checkout, the cashier says I can receive a coupon to take $10 off my next purchase of $30 if I spend $5. I declined, yet I can see how some people fall for this trick, especially since it's a split second decision. Getting a $10 off coupon might be worth the extra $5. But you have to spend $30 to enjoy the discount, which is basically the retailer's way of getting you back into the store.

Retailers are sneaky, but you have to give them credit – they know how to entice customers and make us spend money. But if you're trying to save, you need to recognize these techniques. What are other ways retailers get us to spend money?

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They also usually keep the most commonly bought items (milk and eggs) at the back of the store so you have to walk through and be tempted with everything else. Again product placement

I work for a skincare company similar to origins but I won't say the name. For holiday season, we have a deal with purchase. We have to tell everyone about this box valued at $40 but it's only $20 when you purchase $45 and it includes hand creams, shower gels, perfume, body lotion, face cream, etc. It is a great deal and it comes with a really cute box and I usually say it's a great already-wrapped present for a daughter or friend or aunt or something or they could keep it for themselves cause it's travel friendly. In the beginning, I thought people wouldn't buy it cause you'd have to spend $45 to be able to get it for $20 but all you have to do is start by saying is that we're doing a 50% promotion right now. This whole set is valued at $40 and you can get it for $20 blah blah blah and they'll usually fall for it.

I spend more time checking each size of item say,dishwasher tablet boxes as they have to put price per kilo etc on shelves .most times it isn't a bargain choosing what they are promoting as " sale"! Worth time spent though frustrating.

The 5 for $5 and the 10 for $10 gambit is a clever way to induce us to spend more. Often, buying in bulk can be a time and money saver. But rarely is it a "bargain"! Ten boxes of pasta can be a great deal in terms of restocking the pantry, but usually the store limits the kind you can buy, so you end up with 5 boxes of shells, which you probably would not have purchased at regular price. Often the 5 for $5 is a frozen or dairy item, which can be a bargain if you have kids and they drink lots of juice or milk. But usually you only really need 1, and if you don't consume the extra 4, they can easily spoil before you are ready to eat them. Additionally, there is the "sale" mentality: if I'm going to buy one, and I know I will need the same item again at some point, I might as well buy 5, if I don't I am passing on a bargain." Usually that isn't true, trust your instinct and only buy what you need. Many times the retailer is willing to give the customer a "loss leader" as an incentive to purchase more overall. You buy one container of ice cream and get a second free, so subconsciously you figure you can spend the price of that free ice cream on a different item, and if you are like me, the temptation to do that ends up seeming logical, even if it isn't. One final gambit that tempts me all the time is the BOGO half-off on the store brand, say pain reliever. The brand name product is usually a few dollars more, the store brand gives you more per bottle, so you figure the sale ends up being a bargain. But, you still end up spending more than if you'd just purchased the name brand, and if you don't use the second item fast enough, it can expire. Let's face it, we all shop, we all spend, retailers need to sell, it's symbiotic. Retailer spend lots of money studying buyer mentality, shouldn't we, as the buyers, have some insight into the retailer mentality?

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