Hedonistic versus utilitarian shoppers – they are aiming for the former kind, you and I are the latter kind.

Fair point on the ‘sale’ sign as a beacon to those who ‘spend to save’. Good point – and one I probably didn’t give enough credit.

And, I have occasionally walked away from a purchase at the till when the price was different than the display price — but only when the difference was significant or if I felt the discrepancy was a deliberate ruse.

You are using too much logic If you, like me, aren’t the kind who buys ‘buy more save more’ type of nonsense (I despite or perhaps because of my marketing major…), you are unlikely to walk in anyway. Some people see a ‘sale’ sign and just go in, as if led by the Pied Piper. Once they are in, they will almost always find that the shop’s layout makes them confuse the boundaries between goods ‘on sale’ and ‘on sale at regular prices’. Once you take a thing to the till, you will pay*. It is a sign that is used quite often which suggests that the ruse works – and not just on Isle of Wight but on Regent Street in London too.

*Unless you have no embarrassment, like me, in which case you will say, Oh that much? No thanks.

I’d even suggest that this sign is far LESS effective than a simple “SALE”, because when I see “selected items” I immediately assume that the selected items are NOT going to be the good ones, which I want.

Marketing is all about creating a desire – for things you don’t need. I think the ‘suspense’ works brilliantly. Almost always the best things won’t be on ‘sale’ and once you are in, you are as good as ‘sold’ on those things

@ Mark – Your thoughts mirror my initial reaction indeed.

PS: This is a very ‘GNU is not Unix’ type of post