Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Kiplinger logoLink to homepage
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Save up to 76%
Subscribe
Subscribe to Kiplinger
  • Store
  • Home
  • Investing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Personal Finance
  • Your Business
  • Wealth Creation
  • More
    • Podcasts
    • Economic Outlooks
    • Tools
  • My Kiplinger
    • Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
    • The Kiplinger Letter
    • The Kiplinger Tax Letter
    • Kiplinger's Investing for Income
    • Kiplinger's Retirement Report
    • Store
    • Manage My E-Newsletters
    • My Subscriptions
  • Home
  • spending
Investor Psychology

Mannequin Eye Contact and 7 Other Ways Retailers Get Us to Spend More

by: Anne Kates Smith
April 18, 2019

Thinkstock

When it comes to shopping, your subconscious mind makes the decision to buy several seconds before your conscious mind is aware of it.

Neuromarketers attempt to peer inside our heads to find out what drives a purchase decision. Tools of the trade include eye-tracking technology, electroencephalograms to measure electrical activity in the brain, and functional magnetic resonance imaging, tracking blood flow in the brain to detect areas of activity. But much of the science merely confirms what marketers, advertisers and retailers have known forever: Buyers aren't convinced; they're wooed. "You're entering a zone of seduction as soon as you enter the department store, and the only purpose is to get you to buy more," says branding guru Martin Lindstrom.

Some tips to help you resist temptation and protect your budget: When you shop, clear your schedule and bring a list. Shop alone. Wait before you buy, whether you take a half-hour break or you go home to sleep on a major purchase decision. And be aware of these stealthy triggers that retailers use to lure you into spending.

1 of 8

Mannequin Eye Contact

Thinkstock

The seduction process starts as soon as you walk past a display window, says Lindstrom. Mannequins never look straight out to the street; they look left or right, the better to make eye contact with you as you walk by. Without realizing why, you feel obliged to stop.

2 of 8

Flooring

Thinkstock

What you walk on has a lot to do with how you navigate through a store. "There's a secret code on the floor," says Lindstrom. You might enter the store on a sea of white tile; that's to keep customers moving along a pathway without impeding traffic. As soon as you go left or right of the pathway, the flooring might change to carpet. And if the carpet is thicker than normal, you'll slow down, if not completely stop. The longer you linger, the more you're likely to buy.

3 of 8

Sweet Scents

Thinkstock

Retailers know that your sense of smell is a powerful subconscious motivator. It can trigger cravings, memories or associations that make us linger in a store and influence us to buy. According to the Scent Marketing Institute, we're likely to browse longer in stores with floral or citrus scents, to feel secure and nostalgic when we smell talcum powder, and to feel relaxed when the scent of lavender or vanilla is wafting.

Each piece of department store clothing is tried on an average of nine times, says Lindstrom. So a fresh lemon or grassy scent in the dressing room is meant to distract you from the effects of all who came before you.

4 of 8

Familiar Music

Thinkstock

The music you hear, if you're the target customer, will be newer versions of what was popular when you were 18. You'll recall the feeling of the good old days without feeling stuck in the past. Music playing at a slower tempo slows people down. Both strategies aim to keep you in the store longer, boosting the likelihood of an impulse buy.

5 of 8

Warm Lighting

Thinkstock

Lighting in clothing departments will be warm and soft. Shoppers look pale in fluorescent light. On the other hand, ambient light with a tinge of yellow or orange will make you look healthy and fresh—"kind of sexy," says branding expert Lindstrom.

6 of 8

Encouraging Sizes

Thinkstock

The clothing may be "vanisized"—manufactured larger than the size on the tag or than the same size in a competing brand. This trick is a favorite for selling jeans. You fit into a size smaller than you'd normally wear (or the size you used to wear but can no longer), and suddenly you feel as if you're younger and have lost weight.

7 of 8

Juxtaposing Value

Thinkstock

Your perception of value can be skewed by the "contrast effect," says marketing professor Dipayan Biswas, of the University of South Florida. A $20 shirt seems like a must-buy bargain when it's placed next to $40 shirts.

8 of 8

Colors

Thinkstock

Colors can influence your mood, says Biswas. Retailers will use red or orange to create hype or excitement in the store, or blue if products are meant to relax you. Even the color of the ink used on sale signs matters: Markdowns in red seem more drastic and therefore more compelling.

  • spending
  • Investor Psychology
Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Recommended

A Golf Course Community’s Big Variable for Retirees
Smart Buying

A Golf Course Community’s Big Variable for Retirees

Golf club memberships can often be a separate, and hefty, annual fee at golf communities. Here's some guidance before you tee up your retirement move …
December 14, 2020
Don’t Buy This: Top 20 List of Things That Aren't Worth the Money
spending

Don’t Buy This: Top 20 List of Things That Aren't Worth the Money

Buyer’s remorse is real, and if you purchase any of these 20 items, chances are you’ll get to experience it firsthand.
December 9, 2020
Retirees, Get Ready for Virtual Video Visits for the Holidays
Smart Buying

Retirees, Get Ready for Virtual Video Visits for the Holidays

Tap into virtual video software, age-friendly gadgets, video apps and accessories to make seasonal gatherings safe.
December 4, 2020
2020 Tech Gift Guide: The 10 Best Values + The 10 Best, Period
Smart Buying

2020 Tech Gift Guide: The 10 Best Values + The 10 Best, Period

From laptops to loudspeakers to, yes, shoes. Check out the latest gee-whiz gadgets to make an impression during gift-giving season.
November 29, 2020

Most Popular

Where's My Stimulus Check? Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" Portal to Get an Answer
Coronavirus and Your Money

Where's My Stimulus Check? Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" Portal to Get an Answer

The IRS updated its popular online tool so that you can track the status of your second stimulus check.
January 9, 2021
How a Third Stimulus Check Could Differ From Your First and Second Payments
Coronavirus and Your Money

How a Third Stimulus Check Could Differ From Your First and Second Payments

There's going to be a big push for a third round of stimulus payments. But the amount and eligibility rules for your third stimulus check could be dif…
January 12, 2021
Biden Calls for $1,400 Payments as Part of $1.9 Trillion Relief Package
Coronavirus and Your Money

Biden Calls for $1,400 Payments as Part of $1.9 Trillion Relief Package

Under Biden's plan for a third stimulus check, the $600 second-round stimulus checks would be increased to $2,000.
January 14, 2021
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us (PDF)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Kiplinger Careers
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Save up to 76%Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Dennis Publishing Ltd logoLink to Dennis Publishing Ltd website
Do Not Sell My Information

The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., is part of the Dennis Publishing Ltd. Group.
All Contents © 2021, The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Follow us on InstagramFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect on LinkedInConnect on YouTube