We are encouraged to purchase things in a number of ways, using a variety of different techniques from the subtle to the downright hard sell. Let’s have a look at some of the most common ways retailers aim to increase sales.
Music
The music you hear when you enter a shop may influence your behaviour and your likelihood to buy. Hypnotic music can induce a trance like state where you aimlessly browse then select items without really thinking clearly.
Music can work wonders at increasing sales. The obvious example is somewhere like HMV where the store plays the latest releases. The music can also extend how long you spend in a shop, especially if you hear something you like and you want to hear the whole song, or ask the vendor who the artist is.
It is not only music shops whose sales can be boosted my music. Playing seasonal themes such as Christmas songs in shopping Centres during November/December puts shoppers in a nostalgic and festive mood, perfect for spending lots of money!
Fashion outlets may benefit from playing the latest tracks to their customers, aiming classical and older pop music at mature shoppers and the latest pop, trance at their younger buyers.
The type of music chosen is very important because the customer doesn’t want to hear death metal unless they go into a Gothic shop! French music has been noted to increase the sale of French wine, whereas German music has been said to up the sales of German wine.
Lyrics can contain subliminal messages which can affect our behaviour and likeliness to buy. They often play songs with a positive, encouraging vibe. A good example is ‘You Can have It All If You Want.’ Music can increase shopper’s patients when queuing and soothe the aggravated.
Having the radio on in a shop is said to decrease sales. A low hum of white noise is good if you don’t want music on as it puts the customers at ease by taking the attention away from them.
Retail outlet layout
A shop’s layout will usually be cleverly thought out to maximise sales. Have you ever noticed how most PC shops have loads of space to walk around? Bad planning you might think, why are they paying for space they aren’t even using? The company likes the customer to be able to walk about and try out the software without feeling cramped.
In many shops most expensive things will be in good view but also the second rate things like quick sell-offs from Valentine’s Day passed will be by the door for those in a hurry. Shops selling impulse buys such as umbrellas and chocolate will keep them on the ends of the aisles or by the door.
Triangular balance is a tactic used to draw attention to the biggest most expensive product, say a perfume. The objects are arranged in a triangle with the choicest product in the middle. The human eye is naturally drawn to the middle of the triangle.
Clothes shops which obsessively fold garments are discouraging sales. Customers will be afraid to rummage through the neat piles and staff will spend too much time tidying as opposed to selling.
Supermarkets keep the things they want you to buy at eye level with the cheapest brands on the bottom shelf. Customers are less likely to buy these in a hurry. Milk is often kept at the back of a store ensuring the customer walks past as many other aisles as possible.
Lighting and displays
Good shop displays are artistic. If there are lot of the same product of the same colour in one place it looks regimented. Shops often mix up identical products which are available in different colours to fool the customer into thinking the one they chose is exclusive.
Window dressers favour clusters of between three and five objects because odd numbers are pleasing to the eye. As I have discussed, Triangular Balance is a popular layout. The lighting is important too, as is cleanliness and frequency of change. Seasonal window displays
Appropriate lighting is very important in a shop. One retailer had to do away with the energy saving light bulbs because they were altering the colours of the products.
In supermarkets lighting on meat should be adequate to make it look fresh. Lingerie’s departments often dim the lighting to make customers feel more comfortable about shopping for their smalls.
Appealing to our needs
As well as music, shops create an atmosphere by pumping the smell of fresh bread through the air system. The tactic will hopefully start the shopper’s stomach rumbling and make us feel hungry. Hey presto we head straight for the bread aisle and pick up a loaf. Drink establishments are well known for selling salty snacks to increase our thirst for beer and raising the temperature to induce dehydration.
Pubs, restaurants and bars have no shame about employing young, attractive, scantily dressed staff to appeal to their clientele and encourage them to buy more beer through engaging with the opposite sex.
Women are under so much pressure today to feel and be sexy that it is easy for shops to play on their vulnerability. Many women are easily influenced by images of sexy girls with slogans like ‘look younger’, ‘you’re worth it’ and so on. A woman may feel she has to have that new top in order to fit in and retailers know that.
Loyalty cards, store cards and come- back- soon schemes.
A lot of shops have reward card systems, for example Nectar, Boots Advantage, Tesco Club card etc. They give the customer the incentive to return. Some stores say sign up today for a storecard to get a percentage discount of your purchases. Schemes which are said to only be in operation for the day put consumers under pressure to sign up for discount.
Hungry? Horny? Feeling ugly? Be on your guard when you go shopping or they will swiftly have you part with your cash.
Image via Wikipedia
