The most depressing day of the year supposedly takes place right around now. It’s also prime time to be tempted into shopping as a cure for the blues.
consumer psychology
Why the Mid-Priced Mattress Is Getting No Love
When navigating the spectrum of products in the marketplace, consumers naturally gravitate to the middle. The popular mid-price hotel category, for instance, is attractive to the masses who don’t want to skimp by staying at a …
Consumers Prefer to Get More Rather than Pay Less – Because They’re Bad at Math
Is it better to get more or pay less? If you think they’re basically the same, you’re like most consumers. And, like most consumers, you’re wrong.
Wine Drinkers Will Pay More for Bottles with Hard-to-Pronounce Names
What’s in a name? One study shows that in terms of wine, the name on the label can have a big impact on how much drinkers enjoy the taste—as well as how much they’re willing to pay. Wine enthusiasts report higher levels in both …
Car Shoppers’ Decisions Most Influenced by … Person Trying to Sell Them Cars?
When figuring out which car to buy, consumers consult the advice of family and friends, as well as shopping guides from Consumer Reports and the like. But the info that’s most influential in the buying decision tends to come from an individual who has obvious self-interest in how that decision plays out.
Why JCPenney’s ‘No More Coupons’ Experiment Is Failing
The new JCPenney sounds so appealing on paper. Earlier this year, the retailer announced that “fake prices”—inflated big time to make markdowns seem more tempting—would disappear, to be replaced with a “fair and square” …
Maybe Shoppers Don’t Want ‘Fair and Square’ Prices After All
At some level, all shoppers know that a game is being played in every aisle of every store. Original prices, weekly promotions, clearance racks, coupons, Black Friday, blue-light specials, flash sales, oddly specific prices …
Why the Smell of Cinnamon Makes You Spend Money
Every December, you vow it’s not going to happen and yet, without fail, you return home from your Christmas shopping with far more than you intended. Do you ever wonder why? The answer might surprise you, because you’ve …
Nice Guys’ Credit Scores Finish Last
If you’re cranky, selfish, rude or all-around disagreeable, your grouchiness comes with one big silver lining: You’re likely to have better credit than people who are affable, friendly and otherwise pleasant company.
Married Couples Know Less About Their Debt Than Single People
A new study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York took a sweeping, multi-year look at data about the debt Americans carry and how much we know about those debts. One strange finding: Single people are much better at …
Consumer Phrase of the Day: ‘Aesthetic Incongruity Resolution’
Whether you understand what this means or not, it’s probably going to cost you.
Seeking ‘Retail Therapy’ When What You Need Is Real Therapy
Why do some people take their roles as consumers literally and consume and consume and consume—purchasing items they don’t need, splurging on silly gifts (for friends and themselves) without pausing to consider costs, hitting the mall whenever they’re feeling down or bored, and digging themselves huge amounts of credit card debt in the …
