How Does Sales Manipulation Work?
Although there has been a great deal of discussion on the manipulative nature of sale offers, shoppers still tend to look forward to them and, often, almost all Black Friday deals sell out really quickly. Miglė Eleonora Černikovaitė, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Communication of Vilnius University (VU), says that such tendencies are driven by economic and emotional factors: “First, sale deals are so popular because they make buyers believe that they can save money and buy luxury goods at very affordable prices. Second, there are emotional and social reasons as well.”
In the latest episode of the Vilnius University podcast “Mokslas be pamokslų” (“Science without Sermons”), the communication expert talks about Black Friday sales: why they are so effective, what factors influence consumer decisions, and how to use such sale days wisely to make only necessary and planned purchases.
What makes sale deals so effective?
According to Assoc. Prof. M. E. Černikovaitė, Lithuanians love and actively take advantage of discount offers, but our country is not unique in this respect: “All over the world, such offers attract people’s attention and boost sales. There are all kinds of occasions for special deals: birthdays, Black Fridays, or anything that encourages emotional buying and consumer impulsiveness.”
Special offers are highly effective not only because of the perceived savings but also because they appeal to people’s emotions: “When it comes to Black Friday manipulations, sellers aim to create an impression of limited offers that can save you a lot of money only during that short time frame. In addition, we feel certain social tension. If one’s friends and acquaintances shop during Black Friday sales, the person refraining from them may feel excluded. This encourages impulsive, emotional, spontaneous purchases, the consequences of which are realised only much later when you look at a pile of stuff brought home and do not actually know what to do with it,” says the expert.
Assoc. Prof. Miglė Eleonora Černikovaitė. Photo credit: personal archive.
Both product positioning and visual solutions impact consumer decisions
Assoc. Prof. M. E. Černikovaitė explains that the placement of goods has a strong impact on consumers’ willingness to buy: “The products with the highest discounts are displayed in the most visible place, usually with an indicated discount of, for example, up to 70 per cent rather than a fixed one. This gives the impression that such a high discount will be applied to the entire product assortment; thus, people expect great savings, but, unfortunately, such expectations prove to be deceptive.”
Moreover, when planning product positioning in physical stores, sellers take into account the children’s audience: “Items that appeal to children are placed lower down for them to reach or at the checkout to tempt them while waiting there,” adds the expert.
The sense of running out of time and the fear of missing out on a good discount also play a significant role in consumer decision-making: “Sellers manipulate buyers by providing limited-time offers, e.g. by announcing 24-hour deals or reminding that there are only ten hours left before their discount expires, which is particularly common in online sales. All this provokes certain emotions, resulting in impulse purchases and leading to rushing. There is also the FOMO effect (fear of missing out) that has been discovered by researchers. It makes people feel anxious about missing out on a good deal or purchase. This fear and the limited time encourage reckless purchases,” explains the researcher.
Assoc. Prof. M. E. Černikovaitė notes that the purpose of goods also impacts purchasing decisions: “During Black Friday sales, most shopping is done for Christmas. This is the time to buy gifts for our loved ones that seem to be worth spending a lot of money on because these are the people who are very important to us – and this is another aspect of emotional shopping. In addition, household appliances, electronics, and travel deals are also popular Black Friday purchases. Most of this list falls into the category of hedonistic goods, the very nature of which makes buyers spend more.”
Every shopper is greeted by vivid visual advertisements in both physical and online stores. As explained by the Associate Professor, such promotions are extremely effective: “Large, flashing advertisements have a strong impact on people, especially red labels. It does not necessarily have to be a discounted price, but if it has a red badge – it certainly draws attention. Moreover, sellers arrange products together in such a way that gives the impression that all of them are discounted when really only one item is on sale, and the other is not. Grocers have special discount counters that we pass through when heading for the essentials. They are usually very attractively presented and eye-catching, so sometimes it is hard for buyers to resist them.”
According to the lecturer from the VU Faculty of Communication, online shoppers are also being manipulated: “Online shopping giants are constantly improving by employing various manipulation techniques and tricks to attract consumer attention, creating the impression of scarcity, and offering last-minute or second deals. Online shopping can also create tension, and the ways to do this are constantly evolving. The psychological methods used to attract customers are much more powerful in online stores than in physical ones.”
Gender differences in shopping habits
The researcher claims that the main target audience in sales is women, as they tend to associate shopping with leisure time: “Studies have shown that females are more prone to promotions. They often consider shopping as a form of relaxation – a break from family and routine. It is also important for women to touch the item they want to buy, as they are more influenced by colours, smells, and emotions. Most shopping centres, except perhaps for hardware stores, primarily target female shoppers in order to attract their attention.”
Unlike women, men usually see shopping as a quick chore: ‘They tend to shop with lists made by women. For them, shopping is more of a direct task. Once they complete it, they do not usually look around much. Needless to say, there always are exceptions, but this “list shopping” without even taking a basket and buying only the necessary items is very typical of men,” the expert shares her insights.
How to become immune to manipulation
Assoc. Prof. M. E. Černikovaitė suggests planning purchases in advance and not rushing to buy them: “One of the best tips is to go shopping with a friend who is more emotionally stable. They will stop you when needed and ask why this or that item should be bought. Another tip is to avoid smaller and cheaper impulse purchases, as they will still be available later. I would also suggest not taking a shopping basket at physical stores and buying only what you can carry in your hands. Another tip is to plan your purchases and make a list. If you want to book a trip, look for it in a targeted way; if you need a household appliance, focus only on that item and pay less attention to other offers. Therefore, my advice would be to think about what you really want before going shopping, especially during Black Friday sales, and look for it purposefully. It is also best to go through your wishlist a week or a few weeks before you want to buy something and then keep track of the offers. You may be disappointed and not get the expected discount, so you should also have alternatives for what to do if a certain item is not available or is still overpriced. Have an action plan, and do not rush to buy everything in a reckless way.”