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The Why Behind the Buy

Understanding consumerism and why we buy.
by Kit Yarrow, Ph.D.
Kit Yarrow is a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. See full bio
June 15, 2009, Behavioral Economics

Comments on "6 Sneaky Ways Sales Spur Spending"

6 Sneaky Ways Sales Spur Spending

By Kit Yarrow, Ph.D. on June 15, 2009 in The Why Behind the Buy

It's not just about the price - sale shopping is deeply psychological.

Tanya, 23, of Alexandria, VA was walking through Nordstrom on her way to meet a friend for lunch and spotted a table piled high with handbags. "It called to me! I found the cutest hobo, it was the last one, I had to buy it." Read More

"Sales" and Savers' Department Store

Submitted by RTP on August 28, 2009 - 5:35pm.

"Oh, wow! It's only two hundred bucks, down from four hundred, what a steal!"

I shop for nearly everything at Saver's Department Store; In secondhand stores, I've found new (not nearly-new) and usually extremely expensive items for..."Oh, wow! It's TWO bucks!"

"Consumerism" is a man-made concept based upon false syllogisms and invented "needs". Nobody "needs" coffee from Starbucks, a two-hundred-dollar dye job, a shiny-clean car, or the latest (fleeting) fashion. Realizing this makes us truly free!

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