There are other, more abstract, tactics for remaining rational in the confines of a store. Many retailers depend on cultivating a sense of urgency in shoppers, which leads them to spend irrationally on a deal they believe could evaporate any minute. Cutting through that anxiety might be possible with a shift in mindset: A recent study suggests that when people reflect on a time when they felt grateful, they can become less intent on instant gratification. 

In fact, those who were merely happy or amused were willing to sacrifice $100 in a year for $18 immediately, but those who were primed to feel grateful were patient enough to draw the line at $30. Another study, to be published early next year, suggests that disciplined people aren’t actually less impulsive in the moment; they just choose to limit the number of tough decisions they have to make.

Anxiety and fear drive us to buy and consume.

Gratitude drives us to be happy with what we have.

Amazing how many things influence buying decisions:

A retail store is a sum of subtle, careful spatial decisions: Essentials such as toilet paper or milk are at the back of the store, where shoppers can’t access them without first encountering higher-margin products, such as clothing or toys. Stores are set up to be navigated clockwise, so right-handed shoppers can easily push a cart and grasp at shelved items with their dominant arm. Many stores are lightly perfumed, because pleasant scents have been shown to make people more impulsive.

More:

http://pandawhale.com/post/4292/psychological-tricks-consumer-shopping-behaviors-that-influence-selling-through-psychology

http://pandawhale.com/post/2113/10-things-manipulating-you-into-spending-too-much-money-and-what-you-can-do-to-resist