Tricks of the Trade

王强

Most people who go shopping don t realize how much they are being helped to spend their money. The first shopping trolleys were introduced in 1937 and shopkeepers noticed virtually overnight that their customers were buying twice as many goods as before. Over the years， supermarkets have provided bigger and bigger trolleys with the result that people buy more and more groceries to fill them up.

Dozen of other strategies are used to encourage people to spend their money. Playing music in the background is a common technique designed to affect a shopper s state of mind. A sense of well-being can be created when soothing soft tunes are played. This music is usually heard in the morning， when older people are about. By late afternoon， the music often changes to faster， more rhythmic sounds as the after school teenage shoppers arrive. It is well known that if a customer feels happy， then he or she is more likely to purchase something.

In some shops， changing room mirrors have a slight concave curve which has the effect of making the customer look a little thinner and more attractive. Ill-fitting clothes look better and this again increases the chance of making a sale.

Another trick used to entice （诱使） people to spend their money is seen in some cafes where coffee beans are put under the doormat. The strong， appealing aroma of crushed coffee beans beckons （誘惑） people off the street and into the cafe.

Mood lighting， warm colors and pleasing decorations are all designed to make customers feel happy and to encourage them to part with their cash.

We may not be aware of how we are deliberately guided to spend our money， or even care that much， but it happens every time we go shopping. The next time you are in a checkout lane at a supermarket， ask yourself why there are so many small change items facing you as you move along to the checkout. Notice how many people pick up a packet of chewing gum， a chocolate bar or other small items. Shop owners know we cant resist helping ourselves and they cash in on it by having these items displayed within easy reach.

“A fool and his money are soon parted” is a wise old saying and perhaps we are all fools one way or another when it comes to shopping. I can think of no other situation in life in which people are given unlimited help— help， that is， to spend their hard—earned money.

Answer the following questions.

1. When were shopping trolleys first used？

2. What did shopkeepers notice after shopping trolleys were introduced？

3. What effect does the playing of music have on customers？

4. Describe the types of music used to match different customers.

5. How can customers be made to look thinner？

6. What have cafe owners been known to do to get people to enter their cafes？

7. What is the effect of mood lighting？

8. What are “small change items”？ Give some examples.

9. Where are small change items often placed in shops？

10. What does the saying “A fool and his money are soon parted” mean？