Bargain hunters are braced to strike on Black Friday, now less two weeks away.
But shoppers have been warned to make sure their deals are good ones before they part with their hard-earned cash.
Black Friday is now the biggest shopping event in the UK retail calendar - and retailers are pulling out all the stops to get sales through the tills.
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Bigger chains typically employ marketeers who use a range of strategies to increase sales.
But are you falling for them?
Business marketing experts at Sortlist have revealed five common marketing ploys which could be costing you more money than necessary.
1. Sense of Scarcity
Do you believe it's now or never when you see signs such as 'Only 10 More To Go' or Hurry While Stocks Last? It probably isn't your last chance to buy. Creating a sense of urgency is something consumers aren't strangers to lately, but it doesn't stop us falling for this common selling ploy.
2. Cunning Layout of Products
Ever wondered why products are arranged that way on the shelves? The middle shelves (often named the golden shelves) are where they money is and are reserved for hyper-advertised popular brands. Top shelves are designated for less well-known names and low shelves are the bottom of the barrel - unless you are selling toys, when it's handy to place popular brands at child height.
3. Shopping Cart Size
When you shop using a shopping trolley you are likely to spend on average 40% more than if you use a basket. So that's why sometimes a trolley is your only option or baskets can be hard to find.
4. The Gruen Effect
Sounds technical, but it isn't. Victor Gruen is a designer who created the world's first fully enclosed ‘mall’. The Gruen effect or transfer is basically the moment when consumers enter the shopping centre and are surrounded by an intentionally confusing layout. This is good news for traders as it means consumers will lose track of their original intentions and be susceptible to impulse buys.
5. False Price Reductions
When you see reduced price tags on top of old prices, most consumers don't realise is the majority of these are just decoy-priced products to grab your attention. Most stores will just increase the original price.
Consumer champion Which? investigated Black Friday deals last year and concluded that most offers were not worth trampling over fellow shoppers to get to.
The investigation revealed that 98% of the discounts advertised the previous year - including promotions on popular tech, home and personal care products - were available for the same price or cheaper in the six months after the sales.
And, while you might expect some products to fall in price over time, Which? also found that 85% of the items had also been the same price or cheaper in the six months before Black Friday.
