10 Retail Tricks You Aren't Supposed To Know

Many of us think that we are savvy shoppers, with all these fancy app, and non-clip coupons. But how many of these retail tricks and techniques have you fallen for?

1. "Right" in the way.

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Retail shopping studies have found that most people turn right when they enter a store. That's because the majority of the population is right-handed and right-oriented. Stores know this and tend to put new products, or products that they want to highlight, on your right hand side when you walk into the store.

*Think about where the $1-$5 section in your local target is..."

2. Clearance, Clearance, Clearance...

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Have you ever thought about why the clearance sections are always in the back of the store? Stores do this on purpose as well. Since there are always awesome deals there, they know people will be going back that way, and will walk by all the expensive items on their way.

*To avoid having your cart or basket full before you hit the clearance section, walk straight there and look at nothing else in the store*

3. "This clearance section is a mess!!!!!"

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Exactly... Many times stores are not as concerned about the cleanliness of their clearance section as much as the rest of the store. It's so frustrating not being able to find your size, or color, or price on anything, right? Retailers do this on purpose to tempt you towards the beautifully folded, marked, sized, and much more expensive items.

4. Round and Round

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A lot of supermarkets now curve the ends of their aisles and fixtures, this is to ensure your eye never strays from the goods on display. Because the easier it is for you to shop, the longer you will shop. The longer you shop, the more money you will spend.

5. Carpet, Hardwood,and Tiles Oh my!

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Ever wondered why there are so many different types of flooring in retail spaces? Different types of flooring are often used to direct customers as a retailer wants around the store. Department stores make great use of the difference between carpet and linoleum to subtly steer customers around and hold them in certain places. Occasionally you will find random rugs and mats laid out in aisles of supermarkets to slow traffic.

6. The good stuff is always in the back.

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Retailers know what their biggest sellers are, and what items people are coming in for. Daily household essentials ( paper products, cleaning supplies, pet food etc.) are normally towards the back of the store. This is the same concept as putting clearance in the back the store. You are going to walk by all the deals the store has, on your way to get toilet paper...

*How many times have you walked in for dish soap, and left with a cart full of things?*

7. "I hate waiting in line..."

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Lines are a great place for retailers to add impulse buys to your basket. Point Of Sale displays, magazine racks, chocolate and other low cost items are often put here within easy reach of bored customers to pick up. This is also a great place for advertisers to ply you with information on their products as you are a captive bored market. This is used to effect anywhere a line may form for example by the register, changing rooms or toilets.

*How many things have you added to your cart while waiting in line at Sephora?..."

8. Take a seat...

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Yes, benches, seats, and chairs were placed to to aid in your shopping experience, but they also enable you to spend more time in the store. The longer you are in the store, the more likely you are to spend more money. 100% or chairs and benches will be facing merchandise as opposed to the outside world.

*Many retailers are now using ottomans, so no matter how you sit on it, you will always be looking at merchandise.*

9. Wheres the sun?

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Many retailers and shopping centers will not have many windows, if any at all. They rely on artificial light,and air conditioning. Many stores will have fake windows with artificial light behind them, or tv screens with fancy beach views, or cityscapes. This is to remove the customer from contact with the outside world as much as possible and constraints of time. This is similar to the concept of why casinos don't have clocks inside.

*How many retail stores have you seen that have clocks on the wall?*

10. Tile, Tile everywhere.

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Grocery stores used to (some still do), place slightly smaller tiles on the floor in the higher price areas of the store. When a customer enters this area the wheels on their cart click faster making them think they were traveling faster, and subconsciously making them slow down and spend more time in the area/aisle.

*How many of the produce/deli sections of your local grocery store have floors that "click" when you push your cart, versus "non-click" floors throughout the rest of the store?*

Now head out shopping with all of these retail tricks in mind, and see how many more subliminal things you can spot while shopping.

What retail tricks do you know?

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