Why You Bought That Ugly Sweater

The Atlantic:

There is a science to every sale. Among other findings of interest to retailers, researchers have shown that customers are drawn to items sitting on the middle of a shelf, as opposed to the ends [1], and that we perceive prices to be lower when they have fewer syllables and end with a 9 [2, 3]. Stores have figured out how to manipulate us by overpricing merchandise with the intention of later marking it down, knowing that (thanks to a cognitive bias psychologists refer to as “anchoring”) we will see the lowered price as a deal [4]. And they have learned they should give us options, but not too many—it’s well known that choice can be overwhelming to customers and can discourage purchases [5].

Read the whole story: The Atlantic