Don’t fall for these marketing tricks while holiday shopping : NPR

Extra 20% Off! Factory Sale! Last chance! You must have seen these offers while shopping. But are these really good deals?

Talked to Life Kit to find out Brian VinesA reporter for Consumer Reports, and Lindsey Weeks, editor in chief Brad’s DealsA site that receives promotions from online retailers. They share common marketing techniques that companies use to entice shoppers to buy more – and also share tips on how to make better purchases.

Technique 1: Creating a Sense of Urgency

Be careful when you see terms like “buy now” or “flash deal” while shopping, say our experts. Vines says retailers use a sense of urgency to motivate consumers to make quick purchasing decisions. They don’t want you to think too much about the purchase.

Weeks says this strategy also depends on buyers’ fear of missing out. This makes people think, “If I don’t buy it now, I’ll never get this deal again.”

Next time you get an offer like this, don’t panic. Remember, companies are constantly making products, Vines says. “You won’t miss the boat.”

You may realize that you only wanted to buy something because it seemed urgent. Or you might get a better deal, especially if you wait to purchase something until the end of the season, says Weeks.

Technique 2: Specifying “Base Price”

When you see a price tag that displays the “original price” of an item, say $200, next to the current price, say $75, this is called price anchoring.

“It forces people to focus on that (higher) price rather than the selling price,” says Weeks. It can also make the product appear higher-priced, making you want it more.

Weeks says that very often, that “original price” was never the original price – or hasn’t been that price for a long time.

Beat the gimmicks by focusing on the actual value of the item, our experts say. If the tag says it’s $75, assess for yourself whether You Think it’s a good deal, regardless of the original price.

Technique 3: Increasing the Base Price

Another pricing strategy used by retailers is to raise the base price of an item just before the busy season, then offer a huge and attractive percentage discount such as 40% or 50%. But since the base price is higher, the item may be priced the same as it was last week, or perhaps even higher. This strategy is called “high-low pricing”.

To avoid this gimmick, compare prices, our experts say. View historical pricing data online, or see how much a retailer has charged for this product over time.

You can also see if a product is cheaper at another retailer or secondhand website. This is a great option for clothing – when you buy secondhand you can find the same pair of jeans, new with tags, for a fraction of the price.

If you’re shopping at a store, go online to see if you can get a better price at another store across town, Vines says. Then talk to a sales associate and ask them if they can match that competitor’s price. You can also add an item to your online cart and check the price in a few days or weeks to see if it changes.

Technique 4: Building an Imagination

Marketers sell you a fantasy: the idea of ​​that picture-perfect holiday dinner where everyone is connecting and no one is fighting. Or seeing you at your sexiest, most confident self.

“It’s all in line with our aspirations, I’ve got my stuff together, it’s based on the amount of things we’re able to collect and put in our carts,” Vines says.

So if you find yourself typing in your credit card information while imagining some idealized version of yourself or your family, stop, say our experts.

This doesn’t mean you won’t give your family any gifts for the holidays. But when you consider a purchase, remember that you don’t have to buy this particular item.

You can also be creative. Bake them their favorite cookies. Plan a group dinner or a family outing. Find a treasure they’ll love at a secondhand store. These gifts can be just as meaningful as those you buy from a store.

The digital story was edited by Meghan Keane, with art direction by Beck Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us LifeKit@npr.org,

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