Final answer:
Stores typically direct customers to the right upon entry, using this tendency to place attractive products and displays to encourage purchases. The foot-in-the-door technique involves gaining agreement to a smaller purchase before suggesting a larger purchase, exploiting the increased likelihood of consent. The evolution of department stores to online shopping reflects significant changes in consumerism and shopping behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Store Design and Consumer Behavior
When customers enter a store, they are typically directed to the right. This design choice is rooted in consumer behavior research that shows the majority of people, who are right-handed, will naturally tend to turn right upon entering a shop. This is why you'll often find some of the most attractive products and displays strategically placed in this initial line of sight to encourage increased purchasing behavior.
The Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Store owners might use the foot-in-the-door technique to sell an expensive product by first getting the consumer to agree to a smaller purchase, such as the best data plan with a new smartphone, and then suggesting a larger purchase like a three-year extended warranty. This strategy banks on the likelihood that after agreeing to the smaller request, customers are more inclined to consent to the larger request.
Consumerism and Shopping Behavior
The advent of department stores marked a shift towards modern patterns of consumerism, where shopping became about acquiring small luxuries in addition to necessities. As shopping experiences have evolved, from bargaining in small family-run shops to the fixed prices in department stores, and now to the desocialized experience of online shopping, consumer behavior has also transformed significantly.