Sales Tactics America’s Biggest Companies Use to Get You to Spend More

Playbook: Visual queues, attractive displays, interactive using
Average Spend: $400*
Average Upsell: $100*

There’s nothing quite like an Apple store. Not only are they usually glass fronted and attractive, they’re filled to the brim with the latest tech. No surface is wasted, no product goes without being showcased. Walking into this environment as a shopper is like walking into a live money trap. 

Apple Store ©Igor Plotnikov / Shutterstock.com

Each device is set up with a visual queue which is immediately eye catching and inviting. But here’s where Apple really gets you: you can try any device you want. Once you’ve done that, you automatically feel a sense of ownership and are way more likely to make a purchase. Add-ons include AirPods, insurance, and more. 

Playbook: Prime memberships, “family” packs, free delivery
Average Spend: $10*
Average Upsell: $15*

Jeff Bezos is a multi-billionaire for a reason! Amazon is such a huge part of our modern living these days that it’s not hard to see why we spend so much money on it. In fact, the average person spends $600 a year on Amazon. Prime members spend an astonishing $1,600. 

Amazon ©FrimuFilms / Shutterstock.com

The key to getting non-Prime members to increase their basket value is free shipping. There’s a $25 minimum spend to get the offer, meaning most people just add something else. This is where Amazon’s “frequently bought together” prompt comes in handy. Spending more is just a click away. As for Prime members, memberships breed more memberships, from “family” music packs to TV channel add-ons.

Playbook: Limited edition drinks, plenty of products by the register
Average Spend: $4*
Average Upsell: $4*

Seattle’s finest coffee brand Starbucks is a giant in the java industry for a reason. The products are good, but the branding is even better. Even though it’s been around for decades, Starbucks keeps customers coming back with their limited edition drinks. It creates a “get it while it’s hot” mentality. 

Starbucks @allyssajeyms / Twitter.com

Add-ons are also a major part of what makes grabbing a flat white extra pricey. Little low-cost items are strategically placed at and around the register to entice customers to spend a little more on their way out the door. Baristas are also trained to ask you if you want any snacks or cakes before you check out. 

Playbook: Limited edition meals, deceptive signage, big pictures
Average Spend: $15*
Average Upsell: $5*

Fast food might seem like a cheap way to fill that void, but it often ends being just as expensive as a meal at a steakhouse. Deceptive, carefully orchestrated signage usually puts the most expensive things on the menu on the left hand side, with bigger pictures than the rest.

McDonalds @McDonaldsGeo / Facebook.com

 These menus aren’t easy to read and we’re often in a rush to place our order. Our brains are automatically attracted to the inviting pictures, so we tend to spend more than we initially would have. Additional add-ons at the register include sizing up or adding a dessert. 

Playbook: Layout and store flow to encourage browsing, strategic placing
Average Spend: $62*
Average Upsell: $10*

Target is a shopper’s wonderland, full to the brim with everything you could possibly need for home, work, or otherwise. Have you ever dipped into Target for one thing and come out with a cart load? There’s a name for that: the Target effect. 

Target © Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

It’s no mere accident, either. Target stores are carefully designed to encourage optimal spending. Each section flows into something related, like hair and beauty and cosmetics. It’s this store flow and the overall organized vibe of the store that makes you want to stay longer and shop more. 

Playbook: Discounted prices and frequent sales 
Average Spend: $18*
Average Upsell: $15*

Discounted prices and sales can be hard for most of us to resist, which is why H&M does so well on the upsell. As a fast fashion retailer, the brand relies on pumping out a lot of clothes very quickly. They also mimic the latest trends seen on the runway, which automatically makes us think we’re getting a bargain. 

H&M @hmsakartvelo / Facebook.com

According to Business Insider, sales actually have a profound effect on pur brains. Apparently, when we think about buying something both our pleasure and pain senses are stimulated. Pleasure because we want to spend, but pain when we think about giving up the cash. When we see a slashed price, it’s all about pleasure and we’re way more likely to buy. 

Playbook: Plenty of products out to buy, special color IQ tech, MUA’s on hand
Average Spend: $33*
Average Upsell: $10*

Beauty lovers go absolutely wild for Sephora. It’s a paradise for cosmetics, enabling shoppers to test everything out. Theoretically, the longer you’re inside a store means you’re more likely to buy. Nearly everywhere you turn, an assistant will be on hand to either match you with your shade of foundation or help you try a product. 

Sephora ©TY Lim / Shutterstock.com

This “try before you buy” strategy of selling is incredibly successful. One, it allows customers to see what they’re purchasing, and two, they feel obliged to make a purchase when an assistant has spent a significant amount of time with them. 

Playbook: Food at concessions, bright imagery at the center of the foyer
Average Spend: $14*
Average Upsell: $15*

Going to the movie theater is a treat for most of us, but it doesn’t come cheap. Ticket prices have steadily gone up over the past few years, with AMC theaters charging almost $14 just to see a movie. However, that’s not how they make their money. 

AMC ©Eric Glenn / Shutterstock.com

Big theaters make their profits from the concessions out the front. That’s why they’re so prominently displayed when you walk into a theater. There are huge signs, tons of candy, bright imagery, and that enticing smell of popcorn. Most people will buy a ticket and buy some food, nearly doubling the spend. 

Playbook: Prices, sizes of products, product placing
Average Spend: $13*
Average Upsell: $10*

We’ve all walked into Family Dollar for a couple of things and come out with some off-the-wall items that we don’t need. There’s a few strategies going on here to part us from our dollars. Firstly, having all the items so cheap encourages customers to think less about making the purchase. 

Family Dollar @kyeerickson4 / Twitter.com

What’s more, the layout of the store is thoughtfully laid out, with the most popular items at the back. That way, we have to work our way through the shelves to get to them. We most likely pick up a few items along the way simply because we’re walking past them. 

Playbook: Big shopping carts, huge price tags, good and even pricing
Average Spend: $50*
Average Upsell: $15*

Customers might think they’re popping into Walmart for just a couple of things, but it so rarely turns out to be the case. Big shopping carts are strategically placed right by the front of the door, tricking shoppers into thinking they need one “just in case.” But it rarely ends there. 

Walmart @MarshaCollier / Twitter.com

Huge price signs are littered all around the store, but have you ever wondered why the price points are so odd? With numbers like $4.93, our brains tend not to see the last part and just fixate on the dollar, making us feel like it’s a bargain. It’s a small psychological trick, but it works wonders. 

Playbook: Tempting offers, hidden fees, reward programs
Average Spend: $2700 a year*
Average Upsell: $300*

Credit cards can be incredibly handy in an emergency situation, but they’re also very tempting to use. Over half of card-owning Americans have debt on their cards, but how does Visa make sure that the average yearly spend stays high? 

Visa @VisaGeorgiaGE / Facebook.com

It’s all to do with the enticing offers and reward programs that come through our doors. It’s easy to think Visa is just being a good sport, but it’s a tactical way to make you spend more. Whether it’s airline miles or spending points, it’s always tempting to bump up your purchasing to get something for “free.” 

Playbook: No online store, select product choice
Average Spend: $80*
Average Upsell: $20*

Go into most stores and you’re presented with an onslaught of different products. Hundreds of cereals, pasta sauces, you name it. But it turns out that there’s quite a big misconception that more choice means savvier shopping. Trader Joe’s has a much more simplified product range, but that doesn’t make it cheap. 

Trader Joe's @KastenAndy / Twitter.com

In fact, as Trader Joe’s proves, by having this smaller product range one can totally control the prices of the products more. So by only presenting you with 14 pasta sauces instead of a hundred, they’re actually pushing you into the spending direction that they want you to go.

Playbook: Constant moving of products, strategic placing of products
Average Spend: $130*
Average Upsell: $30*

Costco is a great place to snap up a bargain – if you don’t get lured in by all the products you see, of course. The company frequently moves things around in the store, so customers are constantly forced to look around to find what they want. This is a great way of exposing shoppers to more items that they might overlook otherwise. 

Costco @barstoolsports / Twitter.com

Costco centers also make the most out of end of the aisle displays. They’re big, bold, and often on sale, luring customers in. Impulse purchases are commonplace at Costco because there’s plenty of snacks on the way to the register. Most of the time, these might look like a steal when they’re not. 

Playbook: Bright pictures, fancy vases, more expensive items on the first page
Average Spend: $50*
Average Upsell: $20*

Like any online florist, FTD is in the business of making the gifting process seem easy and straightforward. Picking out a bunch of flowers can be a tough process for some, so the company uses bright, cheerful pictures. They also display their more expensive products on the first page to create a “grab and go” effect. 

FTD @FTDflowers / Facebook.com

It takes a little bit of effort to weed out the cheaper items, which often look a little bit duller than the more expensive flowers. You’ll also notice that the items at the pricier end of the scale tend to be brighter and looking more full, like you get more for your money. It’s no coincidence.