I know! We all are in them all the time…but some things just never register. Visit the Miracle Mile in Chicago, and revel in this secret knowledge as you shop. In this month of learning new interesting facts, I thought some weird facts about the places where we work might be of note. You can find the full report at Odyssey Online.
Fact #1.
Department stores have no windows or clocks. Have you ever looked around and
wondered what time it was and if you were late? Well, if you’re like me, you
had trouble finding a clock…and with good reason! Developers want customers to
lose track of time and to focus on shopping.
Fact #2.
There’s a secret associated with the bathroom…it’s never on the first floor in
a store with more than one story. Customers who want to use the facilities must
go to another floor where they just might become entranced with other products
not on the shopping list. There is method to the madness!
Fact #3.
The elevator in a department store is always hidden and hard to find, but the
escalator is in plain sight. Do you know why? Using an escalator, shoppers see
tantalizing displays and it encourages impulse buying. See more, buy more.
Genius and dastardly, all at the same time.
Fact #4.
Men’s clothing is usually on upper levels. It goes back to secret number three.
If women, who usually shop for their husbands, must go to another level, they
will see more and buy more than if they can find what they want on the first
level.
Fact #5.
Jams match the hour. Early in the day you’ll often hear serene music in the
background. In the late afternoon or evening, when there is a rise in the
number of shoppers and people needing to find their products, the music
switches to a more upbeat rhythm. It encourages shoppers to rush and finish
their shopping. Upbeat music is also featured during discount sales and promos.
Fact #6.
Where are the mirrors? Mirrors are hard to find in fitting rooms, because
developers want customers to ask a clerk how the garment works. Flattering
words encourage sales, the harsh reality of looking in a mirror sometimes
discourages sales. Now you know.
Fact #7.
See-through carts encourages shoppers to subliminally want what someone else is
buying. Think about those handy carts at Kohls stores…you plop in the cart the
things you want, sometimes hanging a hanger over the back of the cart to keep a
dress from wrinkling, and everyone gets to see how attractive it is. In the
process, some of those people start looking for the same dress. It’s all about
the money, folks.
As you
meander in and out of department stores fixing displays, see if these secrets
prove true, and smile to yourself. You know the secrets! You also are now armed
with a way to diminish their power. No more subliminal programming and impulse
buying for you!
