The Science of Shopping (broadcast Friday, December 12th, 2008)

image courtesy Flickr user Freeparking.

When you enter a store to do your holiday shopping, do you make a beeline right for a specific target, or do you wander around seeing what catches your eye? Even though you may think your path through the store is random, a fair amount of thought has gone into what you see as you travel the store's aisles, where displays are placed, and how to direct your attention where the retailer wants it to be. In fact, shopping professionals may have tracked your route through the store and watched your behavior -- right down to how many pairs of socks you picked up off the shelf -- in order to better influence later customers. We'll talk about some of the psychological tricks stores use to influence your shopping.