20 Ways Stores Trick You Into Spending More

Often when you dash into a store for one or two items, you'll often see more stuff that you suddenly want to buy. But once your arms are full, that's all you're going to buy. Stores know this, and the smart ones place shopping baskets all around the store. That way, you're able to offload what's in your arms into the basket, and now you've got room for even more stuff!

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Stores study how people buy and where to put the products with the biggest profit margins: right at eye level. You'll find the cheaper versions above and below the big names. You'll also find items that appeal to children on the lower shelves as well.

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Supermarkets have cottoned on to the fact that pleasant aromas will attract shoppers and, hopefully, keep them lingering (and spending). That's a big part of the reason that supermarkets have bakeries, florists and sell delicious smelling goodies like soups and roast chicken.

These kinds of aromas help boost your mood, too. But you can get a similar effect by using these essential oils at home.

Retailers love to use words like 'sale' and 'free' because they know shoppers love to hear them. You'll often find offers that require you to buy multiple units or 'buy one, get one free'. Sometimes these are deals, but do you really need ten tins of tomato soup? It's even worse when buying multiple items of perishable products. Will you finish those three tubs of yogurt before they spoil?

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In most grocery stores dairy is kept at the back of the store. There are a couple of reasons for this. It's better for the store in terms of logistics. They have to replenish the coolers often, so having them close to cold storage makes sense. But also, because milk is at the back of the store, you've got to walk through all those aisles of temptation.

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You may think that coupon is netting you a great deal. Sometimes it is. But often, the discount is on the full price of an item and there may be similar products that are on sale and actually cheaper. That said, smart coupon clipping can help save you money on the essentials.

When you're standing in line at the check-out, you're pretty much trapped. This is a great opportunity for the store to prod you into even more impulse buying. You'll find things like batteries, razors and gift cards all within easy reach. But it's usually just one brand, so you can't compare prices and the items are rarely on sale. You'll also find a nice selection of candies and chocolate all at child height.

If stores wanted to make shopping easy for you, all the staple items would be in one area. But they don't want to make it easy for you. They want you to stay in the store as long as possible. That's why staple items are scattered throughout the store — so you have to walk up and down every aisle.

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Ever notice that supermarket produce looks amazing? There's a reason for that: they want it to appeal to you. Most stores use misters so fresh fruit and veggies look delicious. They also make sure to put the best looking produce in front, knowing that it sells better than the old and wilted stuff. And, of course, they use nice lighting, too.

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That background music isn't there to keep you entertained. It's to keep you calm, happy and hopefully, shopping longer. People love to spend when they're in a good mood and the stores know it.

Some folks go to grocery store just for the samples. It's a great way for retailers to pull people in and because the sample tables are scattered throughout the store, people will spend more time shopping and spending. Plus, if you try a sample of something and like it, then the store has just made a few more bucks from your impulse buy.

As we mentioned, people love seeing words like 'free' and 'sale'. It's hard to ignore big, bold and usually red 'SALE' signs hanging in store windows. In many cases, the sale may be just for a few items. However, as Business Insider notes, the store has pulled you in and now there is a greater chance that you might buy something on impulse.

Here are 10 things you should always buy when they're on sale.

Another simple trick stores use, notes Business Insider, is to put time limits on sales. You might think that this is the only chance, ever, to buy something on sale. Yet the same item may go on sale again next month.

Think you're a shopping ninja who can get in and out of a store in record time because you've memorized the location of all the things you regularly buy? Retailers know what you're up to and to put an end to your sneakiness, they will periodically change the layout of the store. Never forget that their goal is to keep you shopping for as long as possible.

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Ever notice that the clearance racks are usually at the back of the store? That's yet another trick to get you to walk through displays of regularly priced merchandise in the hopes that something will catch your eye. You'll also notice that clearance racks are poorly organized and have bad lighting. It's another way to make the regularly priced stuff, that has a higher profit margin for the store, look even more attractive.

Not all of our shopping is done in an actual store. Buying online is easy and convenient, but it enables retailers to employ a whole new bag of tricks. They're able to use the data they gather from you to tip the scales in their favour.

Take free shipping. It usually comes with a minimum purchase amount. You'll get little messages like: if you spend a little more, you'll qualify for free shipping. While this true, says Lifehacker, you're also spending more than you'd originally planned to on something you probably don't need. And it's probably more than what you would have paid for shipping in the first place.

Another trick that's sold as making the shopping experience easier for the customer is the ability to store your credit card details with the online store. Yes, you'll have to type in less info every time you make a purchase but at the same time, you lose the ability to really think your purchase over. As Lifehacker points out, once you click 'buy', that's it. No more hemming and hawing.

You should always be careful who you give your personal details and credit card information to, so you don't fall prey to a scam.

You know when you look at something in an online store and then suddenly all the ads you see are for that item? That's retargeting! The store has placed a cookie in your browser that alerts third-party ad providers like Google to specifically push an ad for the item you were looking at on a number of different sites. Clearing your browser's cookies can help turn off the constant reminders.

When you're shopping online, sometimes you'll add stuff to your cart and then not buy it. If you have an account with the retailer, they know you've almost bought something and know that it probably won't take much to push you over the edge. That's where the abandoned shopping cart emails come in. They're a personalized reminder that you should finish the buying process. And most people do.