I’m a money pro – the clever decoy item cinemas sell to make you spend more money & it’s why you want the large popcorn
DO you ever spend way more than you wanted to when you go to the cinema?
A money expert has revealed the clever psychological trick brands do to make you spend more, and it explains why you want the large popcorn.
The woman explained it’s all down to cinemas selling a “decoy” product to fool you into selecting a large option.
She said: “How movie theatres use psychology to make you spend more money.
“The Decoy Effect is a principle that essentially impacts our ability to compare things like price and size to make decisions.
“The best example is popcorn pricing.
“If you went to the theatre and saw a small and large option, you would pick based on how much popcorn you wanted to eat.
“Once there are three options, people start to rely on comparison more than they do their desire or even need.”
The woman, who posts under Your Rich BFF, showed an example of a small popcorn being $4, a medium being $6.50 and a large being $7.
She continued: “In this scenario if you are an average person you are opting for the large because at 50 cents more it feels like a meaningfully better deal than the medium.
“This is the decoy effect action.
“When there is asymmetry between price and value, in this case size, you are going to be inclined to pick the option that is more worth it to you.
“In reality the theatre has tricked you into buying more popcorn than you need.”
Many people were quick to chime in with their reactions, with one saying: “That’s a very common sales tactic. Give three options and asymmetry in the prices.”
Another joked: “No, i just NEED the biggest popcorn.”
Some pointed out that the large can be worth it, if it comes with free refills.