It’s no surprise to find that a large percentage of the population are addicted to needless shopping. Whether they’re in the upper one percent or in the lower middle- class, these people just love to shop. Unfortunately, current marketing practices play on these people’s weakness and use little techniques in order to get them to buy even more items.
The grocery store is a good example of how clever marketing plays into the strategy. Each type of item is carefully placed to afford maximum viewing potential. Common weekly grocery products are usually placed at the opposite ends of the store to force shoppers to go through each shelf to find the product they need. Because of the potential zig- zag pattern made by grocers, the store has the potential to increase their sales because of items shoppers don’t really need but want.
Even at the end of the shopping experience, buyers can still be enticed to purchase small items. Check out stands are stocked with small items that don’t cost that much individually, but when taken together can increase the store’s profit by as much as ten percent.
The cashier will also usually chime in by asking customers whether they want some needless item that can be thrown in for a few dollars. Little by little, all of the products build up, and before he knows it, the shopper is laden with items he won’t actually use, but was enticed to buy.
