商家們讓你無法抗拒的促銷絕招

The road to the mall may be paved with good intentions, but retailers know just how to get inside that part of your brain that yells, 'Buy me!' And this holiday season, they're rolling out more tricky marketing strategies to encourage recession-scarred shoppers to spend. 'Shoppers are dealing with a whole new arsenal of tricks,' says Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing and Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Merchants have always used marketing tricks and rotating sales to encourage consumers to open their wallets, but this year, they're pushing every psychological button they can, retail experts say. Competition for shoppers, plus a tepid holiday shopping outlook, means retailers are doing whatever they can to attract deal-hunting consumers' attention ─ all in an effort to entice them into spending more than they'd planned. That means adding worry-inducing purchase limits to indicate scarcity, promising free gifts to shoppers who spend just a little more, and offering rewards today to redeem later just so people will come back to the store.

These strategies work in part because they tap into hard-wired behaviors that go back to our days in caves. Long before we were confronted with half-off Merino turtlenecks or buy-one-get-one-free smartphones, we learned to stockpile in the event of shortage and to compete for scarce resources, psychologists and neuroscientists say. The stakes are considerably lower when you shop, but studies have shown our brains react similarly nonetheless. The effectiveness -- and proliferation -- of these mind games are a big part of the reason you're apt to look back and wonder why you thought that buying three itchy sweaters for $50 or a $200 no-name television was such a good idea.

Get to know these seven hidden triggers, and next time you go shopping you can look at retailers' pitches with a more critical eye -- and maybe avoid blowing your budget:

'Shop today and save 50% next week.'

Aimed at: Your best intentions.

Why you fall for it: The promise of bigger savings in the future appeals to people who think they can game the system, says Lars Perner, an assistant professor of clinical marketing at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. You figure on buying just one or two things now, then returning to pick up a few more. But volume-driven retailers are using the now-and-later tactic this year to steer consumers back to stores when they know they'll have new stock or other promotions that help you buy more than you planned.

It's similar to the 'buy a little bit more and get a free gift' promotion, Perner says.

'Limit five per person.'

Aimed at: Your competitive spirit.

Why you fall for it: Limits trigger a feeling that the deal is so great that, if not for that limit-four-per-customer rule, shoppers would be filling their carts to the brim, leaving none for you, says L.J. Shrum, the president of the Society for Consumer Psychology and the marketing department chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Setting a limit increases the likelihood you'll buy at least one, and it's even more effective if you were already planning to buy one of the item.

Higher numbers in promotions have the same effect, according to a 2007 study in the Journal of Retailing. Changing the structure of a sale from 'Buy two' to 'Buy eight' resulted in a 55% increase in sales ─ regardless of the price of each option, says study co-author Kenneth C. Manning, chair of the marketing department Colorado State University. This year, limits are showing up on anything a store wants to get rid of. You'll even see limits on items that might seem absurd to purchase in multiples, Shrum says.

'Our Big Sale ends tomorrow/today/in a few hours.'

Aimed at: Your survival instincts.

Why you fall for it: Fear, pure and simple. This tactic appeals to a basic instinct to grab what's available or be left without, says Noah Goldstein, an assistant professor of human resources and organizational behavior at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. Think of the crowds stocking up on bottled water and canned goods before a major storm comes through. In those frenzied hours, it's a matter of survival.

Retailer e-newsletters have made it easy to extend that tactic online, and many retailers send multiple emails to shoppers as the end of a sale nears. And they often respond.

'Get 23% off.'

Aimed at: Your love of a bargain.

Why you fall for it: Real estate brokers have long known that uneven pricing (say, $524,755 versus $525,000) catches buyers' attention, because those odd numbers suggest a bargain that has already been marked down -- whether that's actually the case or not. This year, retailers have picked up on that tactic this year as a way to separate their sales from the sea of 20%-off offers, Yarrow says.

'We have a great deal on the accessories for that, too.'

Aimed at: Your long-term investor.

Why you fall for it: Once the consumer has already made a decision to buy and to pay, it's easier to convince them to add related ─ but maybe unecessary ─ items to their purchase, Shrum says. That's because in your mind, you already own the product, making you more vulnerable to pitches for things that promise to make the purchase more useful or less vulnerable. A 2009 Carnegie Mellon study found that consumers were more likely to buy warranties on purchases if they thought doing so would extend the life of their gadget or preserve its value. And shoppers who felt they were being offered an un-advertised deal were 42% more likely to buy. This is particularly common with products that would be expensive to replace, like smartphones or tablet computers.

'Save $250! (New price: $500.)'

Aimed at: Your price-sensitive side.

Why you fall for it: Touting big savings or using a gigantic font in an ad puts the deal at the center and makes the actual price an afterthought. What's more, your brain often perceives the actual price as more reasonable because of that big price drop, says Perner.

Stores have used this tactic more during the recession to sell higher-priced items, hoping that you'll take a closer look at the washer that has the splashy discount, even if it is more expensive than other models, he says. This trick works, experts say.

'Get a free gift with your $50 purchase.'

Aimed at: Your inner child (who wants a present, too).

Why you fall for it: You were already planning to buy one sweater, but you're one additional belt purchase away from getting to get a free scarf. At the store, you don't think about the $20 price tag or about how rarely you actually wear a scarf. Instead, your mind sees the free gift as an additional reason to buy the primary product in the first place. (A 2009 study from researchers at New York University and California State University found that promotions were more effective if they highlighted the product to be purchased, rather than the gift.)

It's the retail equivalent of finding money on the ground. And shoppers equate added value with a discount ─ even if they're spending extra money to get a freebie they wouldn't have otherwise purchased and might not even use, says Yarrow. That mindset is why stores have brought back the gift-with-purchase this year, as an alternative to big discounts. What's more, this sort of psychological trick makes you feel less guilty about buying ─ or getting for free ─ a little something for yourself. 'It helps you justify the purchase,' she says.在去往購物中心的路上，你可能滿懷着精打細算的良好願望，可是，商家總是有辦法打動你腦子裏高聲叫嚷着“我要買”的那個部分。眼下這個假期購物旺季裏，他們又推出了一些更加狡猾的促銷招數，務必讓業已遭受蕭條重創的顧客們打開腰包。舊金山金門大學（Golden Gate University）的心理學及營銷學教授亞羅（Kit Yarrow）說，眼下，顧客們必須應付五花八門無所不包的新型促銷花招。

零售業專家們說，各路商家一直都在使用各式各樣的促銷手段和滾動折扣來慫恿消費者慷慨解囊，今年更是用上了各種可能的心理戰術。爭奪顧客的鬥爭十分激烈，這個假期的銷售形勢又不容樂觀，商家便不得不使盡渾身解數，力圖吸引那些喜歡便宜的消費者──一切的一切，都是爲了引誘他們進行超計劃開支。他們會設置令人揪心的限量購買來顯示貨品稀缺，會提供免費禮品來鼓勵顧客再多花點錢，還會拋出當天不能兌現的獎品，爲的是讓顧客再度光臨。

這些招數之所以能夠奏效，部分原因在於它們利用了我們在穴居時代便已養成的一些根深蒂固的習慣。心理學家和神經科學家說，早在遭遇半價羊毛衫和買一送一智能手機的誘惑之前很久，我們就已經學會了囤積備荒，學會了爭奪稀缺資源。到我們進行購物的時候，物品短缺的風險已經比以前小了許多，儘管如此，相關研究卻顯示，我們的大腦還是會產生跟以前差不多的反應。這一類的心理戰術十分有效，遍地開花，致使我們經常都會反躬自問，當初自己爲什麼要花50美元買三件讓人身上發癢的毛衣或是花200美元買臺沒牌子的電視，而且還覺得非常值。

來看一看下面列出的七大暗藏殺招吧，下次購物的時候，你就可以用一種更具批判性的眼光來審視商家的促銷廣告──興許還可以控制住自己的預算，不做計劃外的開支：

第一大殺招：今天買，下週就可以省50%。

攻擊目標：你精打細算的良好願望

中招原因：南加州大學馬歇爾商學院（University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business）的現場營銷學副教授佩納（Lars Perner）說，將來可以省很多錢的承諾對那些自以爲比商家精明的人很有吸引力。你會在心裏盤算，現在先買一兩件東西，下次再來多買幾件。不過，在今年，力圖增加銷量的商家之所以採用這種時間差戰術，目的是操縱你再次光顧的時間，讓你趕上新貨上架的日子、趕上商店舉辦的其它一些讓你超支的促銷活動。

佩納說，這種招數跟再多買一點就可獲贈免費禮品差不多。

第二大殺招：每人限買五件。

攻擊目標：你的競爭心理

中招原因：美國消費者心理學協會（Society for Consumer Psychology）主席、聖安東尼奧（San Antonio）得克薩斯大學（University of Texas）營銷系主任希拉姆（L.J. Shrum）說，限量購買會讓你覺得，這東西實在是划算極了，要不是每人限買四件的話，其它顧客就會把自己的手推車裝得滿滿當當，一件都不給你剩下。數量限制將會提高你至少買一件的機率，如果你本來就打算買一件的話，這種招數還會更加有效。

《零售月刊》（Journal of Retailing）2007年刊載的一篇論文表示，在促銷活動當中，較大的數字也會產生較大的效果。論文作者之一、科羅拉多州立大學（Colorado State University）營銷系主任曼寧（Kenneth C. Manning）說，數量設置從“買兩件”變成“買八件”之後，促銷商品的銷量就增長了55%──無論兩種設置對應的價格如何。今年，各家商店已經給所有意欲清空的貨品加上了數量限制。希拉姆說，有些商店甚至給一些瘋子纔會買不只一件的東西設置了數量限制。

第三大殺招：本店大甩賣將於明天/今天/幾個小時之後結束。

攻擊目標：你的求生本能

中招原因：恐懼，原因就是這麼簡單。加州大學洛杉磯分校安德森管理學院（UCLA Anderson School of Management）人力資源及組織行爲學副教授戈德斯登（Noah Goldstein）說，這種招數抓住了人的一種原始本能，那就是儘量抓住眼前的東西，免得到最後兩手空空。想想那些趕在大風暴來臨之前囤積瓶裝水和聽裝食品的人羣，你就會明白其中道理。在那些瘋狂迷亂的時刻，囤東西變成了一件關乎生死存亡的大事情。

有了電子零售商函，各路商家就可以輕而易舉地把這種招數搬到網上。促銷截止日期行將到來的時候，許多商家都會給顧客們發好幾封電子郵件，而顧客們也經常都會起而響應。

第四大殺招：降價23%。

攻擊目標：你貪圖便宜的心理

中招原因：房地產經紀們早就知道，有零有整的定價策略（比如說，把525,000美元改成524,755美元）可以吸引買家的注意，因爲那些零頭數字表明賣家的價格已經一降再降──不論事實是否果真如此。亞羅說，今年，各路商家已經用上了這種招數，爲的是讓自己的促銷活動秀出羣倫，跟那些鋪天蓋地的“降價20%”有所區別。

第五大殺招：這種商品的配件現在也有很優惠的價格。

攻擊目標：你的長線投資理念

中招原因：希拉姆說，一旦顧客決定付錢買下某件商品，勸說他們買下一些與之相關──不過也許並不必要──的東西就會變得比較容易。原因在於，一旦意識到自己擁有了某件產品，你就比較容易相信商家的說詞，由此買下一些據說能讓該產品更好用或是更不容易壞的東西。根據卡內基梅隆大學（Carnegie Mellon University）在2009年所作的一項研究，消費者如果覺得各種保障服務能讓自己購買的產品更耐用，或者是能讓產品保值，就會更加願意購買此類服務。如果顧客覺得自己得到了某種廣告裏沒有的專享優惠，購買的可能性還會提高42%。對於智能手機和平板計算機之類的高價產品來說，這樣的情形尤其普遍。

第六大殺招：節省250美元！（現價：500美元。）

攻擊目標：你對價格的敏感

中招原因：打廣告的時候，商家會用省一大筆錢的說法來引誘顧客，或是用上超大號的字體，顧客由此就會把注意力集中在商家開出的優惠條件上，事後纔會去掂量商品的實際價錢。佩納說，這都不算完，顧客還往往會覺得商品的價錢比較公道，畢竟它已經降了那麼多嘛。

佩納說，在經濟蕭條時期，各家商店用這種招數用得比較多，爲的是推銷那些定價比較高的產品。他們的如意算盤是，自己拋出了泡沫四濺的折扣，顧客就會好好地看看那臺洗碗機，儘管它的價錢比其它的型號貴。專家們說，這種招數相當好使。

第七大殺招：消費50美元即可獲贈免費禮品。

攻擊目標：你內心深處的那個孩子（跟你一樣，他也想要件禮物）

中招原因：你本來就打算買一件毛衣，可是，你還得買一條計劃之外的皮帶才能獲得一條免費的圍巾。在商店裏的時候，你不會去想，皮帶上吊着一個20美元的價籤，也不會去想，自己戴圍巾的次數是多麼地稀少。你心裏只有那件免費的禮品，還會把它作爲購買湊數商品的一個額外理由。（根據紐約大學[New York University]和加利福尼亞州立大學[California State University]的研究人員在2009年所作的一項研究，如果商家着重強調需要購買的商品，而不是免費贈送的禮品，促銷的效果就會更好。）

對顧客來說，免費禮品簡直就是天上掉下來的餡餅。亞羅說，他們會把禮品的價值等同於一種折扣──即便他們是用額外的錢換來了一件平常不會去買、甚至根本就不會去用的贈品。正是因爲顧客們有這樣的心理定勢，各家商店今年又撿起了購物贈禮的招數，用它來替代大幅度打折。不僅如此，這種心理戰術還可以減少你的內疚感，讓你覺得給自己買點兒東西──或者是給自己換點兒免費的東西──並不是那麼罪過。亞羅說，贈品可以讓你買得更加理直氣壯。