These Are The Secrets That Stores Use To Keep You Buying More And More. Don't Be Fooled.

#1 The Mannequins are spying on you.

If you have ever felt like you are being watched while you are wandering around a store, it might be because you are. Some stores have installed hidden cameras in their mannequins to monitor customer spending habits. The cameras, which also help keep an eye on thieves, let store bosses see your facial expressions and movements as you browse the store. The technology can even let staff know when you might need help. More hi-tech cams can even pick up pupil dilation and your heart rate while you're shopping. Stores hope that monitoring shoppers like this can help them find out what's popular without dealing with focus groups and interviews.

#2 Even the floors are working against you.

Ever notice those striped patterns on the floor in a supermarket? They were purposefully placed there to control how quickly you walk through the store. Research shows that taping lines across the floor can slow a customers' walking speed, which in turn causes them to spend more money at the store. By placing lines that are evenly spaced on the floor, customers are led to look at the lines as their progress towards their goal - which in this case is, the end of the isle. And when lines are closer together, customers are more likely to slow down and spend more time browsing. And it's not just the lines that do this trick - different colored tiles serve the exact same purpose.

#3 The color of money!

Shops also put a ton of thought into the color schemes they use in-store. On the outside stores will try to draw you inside with warm colors, like reds, oranges, and yellows. But once you're inside you can expect to see cooler colors like blues and greens. Researcher says that this change in the coloring will subconsciously encourage you to feel welcome in the store.

#4 Songs to soothe your hold on your wallet.

The music that plays in a store is also chosen on purpose. Slower music tends to make you slow down and shop leisurely. Having quiet, slow background music as you shop keeps you relaxed. Likewise, classical music can push you to make more expensive buys. For example, Victoria's Secret uses soothing music in their stores on purpose as this has been known to facilitate customer conversations with sales staff.

#5 Those stacks are high for a reason.

Clothes stores have another nefarious trick to get you spending. Display tables with clothes piled high will be deliberately shuffled up to make the pile look like more people have gone through them than actually have. The more popular a product looks, the more people will want it and if it looks like the item is a hot seller then people are more likely to buy it.

#6 The smell of genius.

Stores will always try to blast you with a full-on sensory experience. That includes what you smell. Simple yet pleasant smells have been proven to increase how much you spend by over 20%. Pine and citrus are common choices to get you to shopping, while other stores use smells that might remind you of a certain happy memory. Chain stores will often make sure every one of their individual stores smells the same, so they can help foster their distinct brand identity. For example, Hugo Boss regularly fills their stores with a slightly musky smell with hints of citrus. This smell appeals to both men and women and has helped the store create its own special identity.

#7 Your eyes are being decieved.

Even where an item is placed is used to influence your shopping. It's really the oldest trick in the book. If a store really wants you to buy something, they are placed conveniently at the average eye level so you see them first. If you look above or below that item, you will likely find a cheaper version of the same product. Similarly, if it's something that your kids would bug you over, it's likely placed at their eye level.

#8 Location matters.

Stores such as supermarkets put a lot of work into item placement. By placing items that are deemed essential, such as milk and eggs as far from the front as possible, they force you to walk all the way through the store past everything they really want you to buy. Many popular retailers do this, such as Apple stores which are meticulously designed down to the tiniest detail encourage browsing.

#9

Keep these nuggets of information in mind next time you go to the store and you won't get baited into spending your hard earned money on something you didn't really want. Stick it to those sneaky stores.