With the holiday season quickly approaching, walking into stores is becoming more of a frequent activity for many. But what people do not know is that you most likely have been persuaded into purchasing items that you didn’t want in the first place. 

Many varieties of stores have different tactics of manipulating people’s purchasing habits. One example is grocery stores putting milk, a very frequently bought/everyday product, in the back of the store; forcing customers to walk past EVERYTHING else on their way to their desired milk. For many customers, temptation will set in when they see a freshly baked box of cookies or some cereal that will suit their milk perfectly. This tactic is very successful, in fact, “60% of shoppers admit to giving in” (TASTEOFHOME)! Some grocery stores even waft the smell of fresh baked goods or chicken to make customers hungry, causing them to buy more food to satisfy their cravings! 

Another popular store that is known for their “manipulation strategies” is Ikea. Ikeas are mostly found in suburbs, making it a “whole day trip” just to travel out there. Once you reach the furniture store might as well just stay, right? Well, it works out fine because they have tons of places to take a load of, relax, and even eat! Ikea makes their customers want to stay/spend more time in the store by offering food and other appealing things! The store is also known to have the floor plan of a map which even includes arrows on the ground to guide shoppers. Similar to the grocery store with important items in the back, Ikea’s layout makes the shoppers travel through every department to get what they initially came for. Perhaps a fake plant or artistic sculpture would look nice on that night stand you are purchasing? 

Other shops that use these methods of sucking clientele into their trap are make up stores. Stores such as Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Mac, ect provide a purchasing experience like no other. Make up stores let shoppers try out the products for themselves, allowing them to see if they really like it. This can be dangerous to many and oftentimes shoppers will end up with more than what they wanted! In fact studies show that once you pick up and use a product you are more likely to purchase it, “Just holding a product in your hand increases your likelihood of purchasing it” (BIGTHINK). One student, Kiara Melwani (11), says “I feel like I end up getting more items than I originally came for. I notice this a lot with Sephora especially.”