Most of the time, humans do not make their purchases rationally . It is already being studied in behavioral or behavioral economics, which tries to understand how a person makes decisions as an economic agent. This is what Richard Thaler is dedicated to, Distinguished Professor of Economics and Behavioral Sciences at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, recognized for his research on how emotional, rather than rational, aspects influence economic decision-making.
The reality is that, since we are “animals of habit” , we make our purchases quickly and instinctively, and that means that it is not always the most optimal. And, of course, this human characteristic is used by the marketing executives of the grocery and other large supermarkets to maximize their sales.
They use our cognitive biases, such as associating certain colors to the offers, and other aesthetic features to the quality or freshness of the food; the tendency to buy the products that are to our right; the ‘two for one’ effect … And other ‘tricks’ associated with the space where we shop for basic products and other items. These lures are hard to resist.
However, it is possible that not everything is due to the advertising strategies and the imperceptible ‘tricks’ of supermarkets and other surfaces. Other studies indicate that shopping preferences are determined by genetics. For example, the tendency to buy luxury items may be influenced by a preference for risk over insurance.
Therefore, in society, it is worth asking: is free will an illusion? While philosophers and scientists try to find out, the neuromarketing and psychology specialists who organize the arrangement of products in the supermarket are clear that they do, at least in part.
These are twenty of the tricks they use to manipulate us without us noticing it and that we end up buying more than necessary.
