Marketing and the use of strategy are fundamental elements when selling a product.

In order to obtain the greatest possible success in sales it is necessary to take into account all the psychological aspects necessary to please the buyer or consumer, something that most establishments know. Clothing stores are no exception.But… what tricks do they use to make us buy? In this article we will see some of them.

The experiment of the editor of Adme.ru

The fact that stores try to manipulate customers in order to get them to come in and buy as much as possible is well known. The clothing and accessories shops, moreover, have the particularity that apart from other tricks in them, special emphasis is placed on enhancing the figure of the people who try on their products and making the customer tend to feel attractive and favoured by most of the available clothing.

It is not unusual for an item that we have liked in the store, when we put it on at home or when we go out, not to fit as well as we initially perceived. This is because in the shop’s fitting rooms, different effects are played with in order to make the product more attractive and make it look better than it really does.

An editor of the Russian publication Adme.ru has carried out a kind of quasi-experiment in the fitting room of a total of 11 shops, taking pictures in the mirror to observe the differences between the image from inside the fitting room and in real life , using the same clothes. The results reflect that our own image can be partly distorted by different mechanisms, especially light, colour contrast and the use of mirrors.

In the fitting room: elements that “beautify” us

Both the above experiment and many others have shown that store testers are designed in such a way that the customer can feel favored by the store’s products. Some of the main elements we can observe are the following.

1. Use of lighting

The lighting of the fitting room is one of the elements that most affects the perception of whether or not a product favours the wearer. Generally, lights are used that transmit warmth and make the person look healthy and tanned. Side lights and soft to moderate intensity lights also favour this fact, allowing the silhouette to be stylised. On the other hand, a front light is not very suitable, because it tends to transmit a slightly wider image.

2. Shape and placement of mirrors

Where the mirrors are placed and even that they have a certain shape will also modify the image we see reflected. The mirror in question must allow the person to look at himself from the height of his eyes.

If the reflective surface is tilted or forces the customer to view his image from a different position than usual, the image may be modified. Some mirrors also may be slightly concave , which causes the image seen in them to be slightly smaller and thinner.

3. Color contrasts

The curtains or the walls of the fitting room also have a certain effect on how we perceive ourselves in front of the mirror. The presence of marked contrasts between the environment and the figure that is observed can cause the characteristics of the product to stand out more. Depending on how it is combined with the light, the resulting appearance may be better or worse than what would be observed in reality.

4. Available space

The space and comfort provided by the fitting room in question also encourages the purchase or perception of our own image in the mirror.

Having a wide and comfortable space can make the person have a positive attitude and this affects their perception, as well as favouring their return to the establishment in the future. In addition, the perception of one’s own silhouette may be diminished when compared to a wide space, which may make us seem smaller and thinner.

The opposite case, i.e. a small receptacle without much space, can be counterproductive by more easily inducing a stress reaction. However, it can also favour a quick purchase in which only some superficial details are observed before making a decision while the effects of the above points are focused only on the silhouette itself.

Other aspects that favour purchase

Apart from the aspects that we have seen, the stores employ other strategies in order to attract our attention and favour the purchase of their products. Among them we can observe the following.

Showcase

The lighting and contrast effects do not only apply to the tester area. The shop windows are also an essential element in attracting the public, since it is not in vain that is the first thing the potential client sees from the outside . Therefore, it is very useful to display garments that are highlighted by the lighting and decoration of the store, so that they attract attention.

Placement of the garments

Within the store, the location of the products is another element of great importance to take into account. Placing the most expensive products in a visible position and that finding the cheapest ones requires some searching makes it easier to make larger payments. It is also important to place the new products close to the access to the premises, so that potential customers are attracted by what may be inside.

Use of music

Most shops employ some kind of music in order to motivate their customers to stay on the premises and consume. The type of music in question must depend on the type of product or establishment, as well as its potential audience.

Exclusive garments and temporary offers

The idea that something runs out generates in the potential client the urgency to acquire it before it is too late. Similarly, the fact that there are often exclusive items or limited offers can often make customers who have previously passed through the premises return to be interested in a particular garment.

Soil type

The type of soil is another aspect that, although ignored by many, can influence whether or not you end up buying. Soft and comfortable floors make customers stay longer in the store, being more likely to end up buying something.