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7 things stores don't want you to know

You're looking for a deal, and they're looking to get inside your head and make you buy more than you had planned. But forewarned is forearmed; here's their game plan.

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By Naomi Mannino, Bankrate.com

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  • A method to mall madness

    Today's retailers have uncovered the science behind shopping. Your favorite mall stores actually hire such retail researchers as Paco Underhill, the author of "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping."

     

    Underhill has tracked hundreds of thousands of shoppers to study how they shop. "There is nothing random about how a store is arranged and designed. It is carefully calculated to appeal to you in every possible way," he says.

     

    "The stores have a plan, so you should, too," says Dave Ramsey, the author of best-seller "The Total Money Makeover" and the host of a syndicated financial talk show.

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • The 'magic' of the display

    We can learn a lesson in Underhill's book from a story told by a retailer about a tempting display of T-shirts.

     

    "We buy them in Sri Lanka for $3 each. Then we bring them over here and sew in washing instructions, which are in French and English. Notice we don't say the shirts are made in France. But you can infer that if you like. Then . . . we fold them just right on a tasteful tabletop display, and on the wall behind it we hang a huge, gorgeous photograph of a beautiful woman in an exotic locale wearing the shirt."

     

    Resist the urge: "Write a monthly mall shopping budget and stash cash in an envelope specifically for that purpose. When the envelope is empty, stop spending," says Ramsey. "A written budget makes you think twice when you are tempted by impulse buys."

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • When BOGO and two-fer deals are good

    BOGOs (buy one, get one), two-fers (two for the price of one) and other bundled-item promotions successfully tempt you into shopping more often and spending more to raise the store's number of sales as well as ticket averages, or amount of each sale. They're not always a good deal for you if you're not familiar with the store merchandise and its regular prices. "You're not saving if you are actually spending more than you planned," says Underhill.

     

    Resist the urge: "Know your favorite retailers, brands, regular prices, promotions and discounts -- and always check the clearance area first to find a similar item on sale to avoid buying two of anything and spending more," says family financial expert Ellie Kay, the author of "The 60-Minute Money Workout."

     

    "Ask yourself, 'Do I really need two sweaters or two of the same jeans?'"

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • Don't turn right when entering the store

    "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," says Underhill.

     

    Knowing this, stores highlight tempting new items and trends to the right of the entrance. You'll find that the music is louder and the displays are brighter to attract you where you will look and turn first. This is also where the most expensive items in the store are generally displayed.

     

    Resist the urge: "Shop with blinders on," says Kay. "Stick to your list with the cash in your hand. Avoid credit card debt at all costs, and head straight to what you came for."

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • Why clearance items are in the back

     The clearance racks are placed in the back of almost every mall store on purpose -- so you'll be tempted by everything else more expensive in your path.

     

    You have to pass all the new trends and displays, all the sales and promotions. Retailers are hoping that your hands will be full by the time you reach that clearance area, so you will not be able to stay there and search for the better deals, says Underhill in his book.

     

    Resist the urge: "Head to the clearance area first to find the best deals," says Kay. "This way, you will have a frame of reference for comparing prices of similar items in other parts of the store and will be able to make smarter choices."

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • Why the clearance area is messy

    "It's really hard to conquer the clearance area in some stores, because it's actually designed to make you not want to spend time there," says Kay.

     

    Retailers know shoppers want to easily find the size, price and item neatly displayed. So they purposely create the frustration of the poorly marked and poorly organized clearance area to tempt you toward the beautifully displayed and perfectly organized full-price merchandise.

     

    Resist the urge: "Never shop when you are rushed for time," says Kay, "because this leads to making rash decisions." Instead, she advises setting aside time to shop, dig and search for what you truly want, need and can afford from the clearance section.

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • Beware the small stuff around the registers

    Impulse items are tempting goodies such as jewelry, sunglasses, fragrances and magazines that you did not plan to buy. They are displayed purposely near the register. In retail jargon, these are called add-ons (in addition to your main purchase), and they can increase your credit card debt faster than you can say, "Oooooh, pretty!"

     

    Resist the urge: Kay's shopping wisdom is, "Never enter a mall without a specific shopping list. Then, use my 'list test' to justify an off-list purchase with three valid reasons including: paying cash (not credit), a great discount and necessity of the item. Not only will this hassle slow you down until the impulse passes, but you can actually reprogram your mind and habits to shop this way automatically."

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • Be selective when shopping with friends

    "Two best-friend reckless shoppers who both give in to every temptation can overspend into a credit card debt disaster," says Kay -- and retailers will do whatever they can to encourage that. You can even have your Facebook friends weigh in on whether you should buy those jeans; you can also use a dressing room app that elicits "buy it" responses from strangers.

     

    Resist the urge: Kay explains that different people have different shopping personalities. "Some people get frustrated easily, some shoppers are impulsive, and some shoppers persevere more than others. If you're going to take a friend shopping with you, take someone who can balance your impulsiveness with their perseverance" (or vice versa if your friend needs the help), she says.

     

    More from Bankrate.com:

  • What do you think?

    Tell us your thoughts on the MSN Money Facebook fan page. Then check out these other articles on MSN Money:

     

    Published Nov. 2, 2011

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    147Comments
    yaaaaahn
    Dec 4, 2012 12:10AM
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    It would be interesting to sit in on a class that teaches retailing to young people.  If they don't grasp the concepts of deception etc. they flunk out.
    unkyjack
    Dec 3, 2012 11:51PM
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    Naomi, honey,  did Chelsea help you write this ?
    gordo1
    Dec 3, 2012 11:33PM
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    When your lucky enough to barely pay your bills, food ,gas, rent and utilities ....

    Don't expect our family to fall these phony sales and clearance crap..

    we don't have the money to buy anything in the first place...fyi

    the bigger the happyer she is
    Dec 3, 2012 10:49PM
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    B. S.,....they are not gonna tell you what really makes you spend more.
    des520
    Dec 3, 2012 9:28PM
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    I am still looking for 7 intelligent things stores don't want me to know.  This article was completely worthless.
    Silvertip44
    Dec 3, 2012 8:44PM
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    What a load of crap!  Where did this person get her info?
    BETTY206
    Dec 3, 2012 8:29PM
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    I can not believe they are trotting out this very stupid and inaccurate piece of tripe a second time.

    Just keep reading the comments if you doubt how awful this load of nonsense was received the first time.

    No retailer keeps clearance areas a mess on purpose. Very hard working clerks clean them up to have them trashed 10 minutes later by the bargain hunters. A mess does not move and no one wants clearance on their shelves. Just plain idiotic writing .

    A big thanks for pissing me off with the same ridiculous article.

    the angry one
    Dec 3, 2012 8:21PM
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    What irony this article presents.  MSN Money focus should be on saving money; this article just cost me the time to read it and make this comment.  Either MSN has some extremely naive writers that think this is useful information or they have a bunch of just plain dumb people working for them.  Actually this article seems to be the same one MSN ran about 2 months ago; either there is a lot of plagiarism going on or MSN Money assumes their readers have totally lost their memory.

    Teddyc73
    Nov 20, 2012 2:01PM
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    Can we please stop using the stupid acronym "BOGO"  How hard is it to say  or write "buy one get one free" ?  Really?   So please, PLEASE, I'm begging everyone to just stop.
    fatradomainbussines
    Nov 17, 2012 4:58PM
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    My new foray into the world of stocks. because I believe in to msn money investment manager. But in indonesia, I can not do anything ...Is there anything that I received with investments in indonesia. I admit my posts 6 hours ago could not be read because I use google translation. now it is legible and clear 100 $
    jazznbluz
    Nov 16, 2012 6:16PM
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    Better idea.  Don't shop in malls.  Use the internet whenver possible.  It's usually much less expensive.  Only go to malls/shopping centers in an emergency.  Otherwise. I'm sure waiting a couple of days for your purchase will not kill you.
    SSGCP
    Nov 11, 2012 3:30PM
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    I always go straight to clearance and "might" browse the other sections. I might also haggle a price lower if there is something amiss. I do not have an issue with going in the store with $100 and walking out with $100 or might have only spent $10-20. I love to "window shop"
    Raejean
    Nov 11, 2012 8:03AM
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    After 25 years retail management I can say the writer has no idea what they are talking about. We were way  trickier than these examples, and,  Messy clearance, are you nuts. We actually do try to keep up with the customers who trash it but it often does gets out of hand,  Right turn better?? And new merchandise up front because its NEW, not to load you up on your way to clearance. That's two separate customers. Clearance to the back because the bargain shopper will find it where ever we put it.  Anyway I guess it's hard always trying to come up with an idea for a story.
    Emeraldaly
    Nov 11, 2012 7:14AM
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    I can't even open the article. I click the blue arrow and nothing happens :| I was looking forward to seeing how wrong it is, and going by the comments I think I would have been pretty entertained :p
    TikiHi
    Nov 11, 2012 6:13AM
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    This is space filler article.  Like some other comment I read from retail employees, clearance areas where I worked were kept neat, new items were up at the front.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had to fold the same shirt over and over again because of customers.  Some of them are just plain rude and messy.  Shopping sucks.  I always start at the clearance rack.
    Flip Da Bird
    Nov 11, 2012 5:58AM
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    Obama was marketed & sold to America, the mess he had must have been the "clearance area".
    tbc343
    Nov 11, 2012 5:27AM
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    Merchandizing is the business of buying low and selling high Doing it well is not cheating the buyer, who is genearlly free to go elsewhere or not buy.
    vampiredog
    Nov 11, 2012 5:24AM
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    I don't mean to use bad language but this is a crappy crap fest of a crap article with absolutely nothing of  value anywhere.
    Smart Shopper 2012
    Nov 11, 2012 5:06AM
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    Thanks to all who wrote that the article was not worth reading; I skimmed over it and agree with you all!

     

    My 2 bits of advice: if you don't have the money for the new fashions, wait for those items to go on the clearance racks and buy them at that time. If the store doesn't carry your size or style, why bother entering the store? Find a place that has reasonable prices, good return policy and helpful staff.

     

    Retail workers are underpaid for all the cr*p they take from customers, so be kind and try not to make a mess in the store; other people (staff and customers) will appreciate your kindness!

     

    Oh, and for all you grocery shoppers who stop your cart in the middle of the aisle, please remember that you are not the only person in the store.  I want to get my shopping done, too, so please move your cart to the side before you start perusing the items on the shelves. Thanks.

    Deborah N
    Nov 11, 2012 4:49AM
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    This article says absolutely nothing!  Blah, blah, blah. So what's the reason you published this anemic worthless list of totally useless information.  You can do better .
    nomadboy
    Nov 11, 2012 4:12AM
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    Yet another total waste of time msn.com article.  You sucked me in with the title, yet there was no content worth reading.  I need to stop taking the bait. MSN, where on earth do you get your "journalists?"
    Hnry111
    Nov 11, 2012 4:09AM
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    I'd certainly hate to think I was spending money non-scientifically..​....
    Keekamouse
    Nov 11, 2012 3:58AM
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    These articles bug me because they use words like "tricks" and "schemes" to imply that retailers are being dishonest. Of course the best and newest items are at the front of the store. Who wants to squeeze through the clearance racks to find this season's clothes? Such things as pleasing lighting and flow of traffic are STRATEGIES to help sell items not TRICKS. A trick would be a bin that says in small letters blue shirts half price and its all full of red shirts that are full price. That would be a trick.  I work in grocery and I don't know how many articles I've read implying that the milk is kept at the back of the store so you have to walk past all the other potential impulse buys to get to it. That is so silly. Milk (and meat usually) are in the back because that is where the loading docks and coolers are. I'm pretty sure you don't want me running over you with a pallet of milk trying to bring it to the front of the store. And the reality is that grouping things together will encourage people to buy more than spreading things all over the store. And neither strategy is a trick.  These kinds of articles set people up to be suspicious of retailers and their "evil" plots to snooker them. Yeah, stores want you to spend a lot of money there, but most use tactics that are obvious and aren't trying to trick you. A customer who feels tricked or cheated will not return and that is bad for business.
    carlop
    Nov 11, 2012 3:58AM
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    Did the author just finish reading THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA?  Mall shopping is entertainment first and merchandise second. That's the attraction of malls. Ever been to Macy's in Manhattan? It's a mall in itself. Food is actually sold on every one of the eight floors. If they offer that because they don't want me to leave the store for lunch, I don't care. It's a service and a convience and it is not mandatory. I love the place and could spend days there. After retiring from the USAF, I chose a second career in sales. This article is another one of those that coaches people to go shopping and then try very hard to NOT purchase anything and it annoys me no end. Sales associates are paid to sell. It's how they earn a living and feed their families. Please don,t worry about which way to turn when you walk into a store. Most large stores have a DIRECTORY at the entrance doors. Go find what you are looking for, try it on, read the labels, evaluate the quality, and decide if the dollars are worth it.  And pay no attention to the drivel in this article.  And don't forget to have a little fun while you're at it.
    JerryB363
    Nov 11, 2012 3:41AM
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    Such **** haha, I've been working in a clothing and footwear store for around five years now, and the clearance is always a mess because shoppers are **** to it. They believe that because it is clearance that they don't have to treat it like it's not theirs; they pull things off hangers and then toss them back onto the rack without rehanging or organizing. We don't have the manpower nor the will to clean it up constantly just to seem someone disregard decency and manners.
    Mari Hikari
    Nov 11, 2012 3:39AM
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    Not so true about the clearance section being messy on purpose...I work in retail and am always placed in the clearance section to clean it up. People disorganize it quickly because they are in a hurry and look through the clearance racks and just leave the mess there. The company didn't intend for it to be that way. At least, not the company I work for lol.
    molsy
    Nov 11, 2012 3:01AM
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    this was written a year ago, nuthin new
    Michael David Allred (THe Animal)
    Nov 11, 2012 3:00AM
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    What to do if I've boughi a truck that eats fuel.
    rrathgeb
    Nov 11, 2012 2:59AM
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    coupons dont save you money. if you didnt have the coupon you wouldnt have bought it in the first place.
    LUVDAROOTS
    Nov 11, 2012 2:40AM
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    As a 15+ year manager, who has worked for some of the biggest retailers in the world, I can tell you categorically that the bulk of this story is nonsense. Messy clearance? Don't turn right? Somebody just pulled this stuff out of their, uh, hat.
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