I’m a fashion expert – 8 tricks internet giants like Nasty Gal, Zara and ASOS are using to make you spend more money

By Marie Patten On Jun 30, 2022

WITH the start of the summer sales, major brands will flood our inboxes with discount emails.

But be careful, don’t fall for those tricks they use. . .

During the summer sales, big brands flood our inboxes with discount emailsCredit: Getty

But be careful not to fall into the trap of those tricks they use. . .

‘FREE DELIVERY

No one likes to spend their hard-earned money on delivery charges, so many offer free delivery – but there’s a catch.

Consumers are often faced with a minimum spend – like £30 for the Mango store and £50 for fashion site Nasty Gal – pushing us to spend more than we bargained for.

Brands such as Asos (£9.99) and Next (£20) offer unlimited next day delivery for the whole year.

Julian House, Managing Director of myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uksays, “Paying for shipping per purchase can add up, but if you regularly use an online retailer, paying for premium shipping for a year might be worth it.

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However, if you don’t use this brand regularly, it’s a subscription you could do without.

TARGETED ADVERTISEMENTS

WE leave a digital footprint every time we visit websites and display advertisements based on what we have searched for previously. So how can we avoid this?

Julian says, “If you’re signed in to a Google Account, just go to Ads Settings and turn off Ads Personalization. But targeted advertising goes beyond signing in to a Google Account.

“Any apps or websites partnered with Google may also contribute targeted advertising, as well as any search terms. You can also opt-out of these in Ads Settings.”

MAKE YOU PANIC

BRANDS like to create a sense of urgency to encourage shoppers to part with their cash. They use phrases like “hurry up now while supplies last” and “stock low” to freak us out.

Julian says: “In truth, if a product is popular enough, stocks will definitely be replenished. If it’s not something you need, don’t feel like you have to buy it for fear of not being able to get it.

“It’s 2022 – there are countless buying options and there will always be what you’re looking for somewhere.”

PAYMENT BY PHONE

WITH Apple and Google Pay on our mobile devices, paying has never been easier. Plus, with buy now, pay later programs like Klarna and Clearpay, the money doesn’t even have to leave your bank immediately.

Amna Khan, lecturer in consumer behavior and retail at Manchester Metropolitan University, says: “Telephone payments create a frictionless experience for customers, but can easily trick consumers into spending more than they do not wish.”

To give you a chance to think about your purchase, delete the payment card details from your phone.

EMAIL ADVERTISING

OUR data is worth money to retailers, so they often encourage us to create a login and register on their websites.

This means you receive email newsletters, offers and marketing advertisements alerting you to sales and certain products that are back in stock.

Have you ever found yourself buying something you weren’t even looking for because of this?

If spam is cluttering your inbox, scroll to the bottom of the offending email and click “unsubscribe.”

THE SO-CALLED DISCOUNTS

“ANCHOR” is the term used to place the discounted price next to the original price so you can see how much you’re saving.

Although brands must have offered the item at the RRP (recommended retail price) for a significant amount of time, they may not intend to sell it for that.

Do your research before hitting “Buy.” Look for the item elsewhere and see if it’s priced closer to the original price or the discounted price on the site you’re shopping on.

Jasmine Birtles, CEO of MoneyMagpie, says: “We tend to switch off when we go online, so be sure to ‘switch on’ mentally when you start shopping and remember this is about businesses and that they call on psychologists to determine how to do this. buy us.

SPEND TO “SAVE”

SPAVING – or spending to save – is a way retailers make sure you’re parting with as much cash as possible.

For example, by giving you discounts for multiple purchases, companies want you to believe that you are actually saving money.

Amna says, “Buying multiple offers only works on the items you need.

“The formula is really simple: if you’re going to use it, buy it in installments. If you don’t use it, the offer isn’t for you.

PSYCHOLOGY AWARD

Have you ever wondered why something costs £19.99 instead of £20?

As consumers we don’t want to go over a certain threshold and if something costs £19.99 that means it’s in the range of £10 to £19.99 and we don’t associate it with the expenditure of £20.

Many retailers, including New Look, H&M and Zara, do this.

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Jasmine says: “Psychologically, 99p seems a lot cheaper than £1. It all depends on the numbers we see when we browse the shelves.

“If we don’t round it up mentally, we may subconsciously think we’re buying something for 90p rather than a £1 penny. It’s all about perception.”