Which way to turn?

[CompNut]

When you first enter a large store, do you automatically turn right or turn left? In other words, do you have a natural bias to the right or the left?
I find I invariably turn right when entering or leaving a store, bank, or shop. I wondered if it was the norm, or does it depend solely on whether one is right-handed or left-handed?
Hmmm, maybe someone knows...?

[tigerthecat]

You are right the research (and theres loads) says that consumers tend to go right as they enter a shop. This has all kinds of implications for retailers who exploit this kind of human behaviour to the enth degree. I read a book (knowledge is dangerous) all about this kind of behaviour and it kinda opened my eyes to my own shoppping behaviour too. :-)

[dzug]

Not sure that I 'automatically' do either. If I know where in the store I am going I head straight there. If not I find the store guide and look where to go.

Thinking of the stores I visit regularly, most don't have a right turn as you go in - it's straight on or left only, so maybe they haven't read the research

[CompNut]

Thanks, tigerthecat, I didn't realise there had actually been research into this - I thought it was just a quirk of mine.

dzug, thanks also for your reply. Very sensible to check the store guide first so you know where to head for, I'll have to try that instead of my usual Right Turn and Meandering!

[smudge]

Whenever I go into a store, I always have to start from the left - but that may be because I'm left handed!

[CompNut]

Aha, smudge, then left-or-right-handedness may well be the key to this conundrum!
I must confess that I do hate shopping anyway, unless my mission is to go to buy a new computer, or some other 'must-have' technology. (I've got 4 computers at the moment and the urge to go and buy a new one is creeping up on me....)

What about theses new High Definition televisions, has anyone got one yet?

[kazza12345]

in both of my local supermarkets, the entrance is on the far left of the store as you are looking at it, meaning that you cant turn left when you go in anyway

[smudge]

I even like to walk & sit on the left side of people too CompNut! That way, when I eat or am knitting, I'm not poking them in the eye with my elbow!!

[ronnie963]

there was an articale i was reading and it said most people LOOK to the right when they walk into a store so thats where they put there "deals" and "offers" also you are hit with a blast of warm air with the sent of lavender or fresh baked bread when you walk through the doors to give you a false sence of sercirity and apparantlly send more. That childrens delights are place on lower shelves and own brand products are at eye level.

Hmmm, well that does not happen in netto so it must be the big rip-off superstores.

Happy shopping and keep your eyes down, nose closed and save some money.

[CompNut]

Yeah, ronnie963, that fresh bread aroma ..mmmm!
Oh well, I admit I can be bamboozled like that.
Debenhams department stores and the like, I find very confusing, despite floor plans, elevators, etc. plus most stores are so darn HOT! Makes you want to get out of there as fast as possible.
Thanks for replying, kazza, and hey smudge, what are you knitting ?
Thanks for all contributions gratefully received !
Enjoy your Sunday.

[whiskeysheri]

Some stores like Ikea have a sort of path that you sub-consciously follow around the store that takes you everywhere they want x

[campbellking]

Our local Sainsburys sticks it's bread in the far left corner. Drives my Mum mad as she has difficulty walking, and the essential stuff is furthest away. Not only that, the parking for people with disabilities is further away than that for the parents and children. I know shopping with kids is a pain, but there's nothing wrong with their legs....

[CompNut]

cambellking, I'm sorry to hear your Mum has difficulty in walking and getting to the essential items she wants in Sainsbury's. Why not speak to the manager, or write to Sainsbury's telling them the problem. I'm sure they could easily put extra stands with bread on them nearer to the door, because other customers will also have the same problem. (Recently I found items were placed too high in Tesco, so I spoke to a manager. Next time I went into local branch, the particular thing - my favourite Tea - was nicely placed on the middle shelf which I could easily reach. Stores do want to help their customers, to keep our regular custom.
Good luck to you and your Mum.

[tell-me-more]

I've got my pupils to take part in an experiment along these lines and after quite a few trials it seems clear that right-handed people tend to turn right more readily and left-handed people tend to turn left more readily, but the numbers seem to be a little lower for left-handed people turning left.

My theory is that that may be because they are more used to turning right for some reason - perhaps because when they're in groups, the majority will turn right, or perhaps it might even have something to do with us driving on the left in the UK.

I have also found that it's relatively easy to predict who will not play ball and make a simple choice to either go right or left.

Supermarkets do indeed seem to take advantage of these tendencies, along with any others they notice. I've seen "Value" packs that are very poor value, compared to non-value packs, but are conveniently located in the central aisle and promoted heavily, whilst the non-value packs are needles in the supermarket haystack.

Even when the non-value items are displayed clearly, the prices seem a little contrived to make the arithmetic difficult.

I've seen "5 yoghurts for �1.80" highlighted as a super dooper special offer, when the standard price of the yoghurts is 38p. Being a keen mathematician, I noted that this would only save me 10p, yet would involve storing 5 yoghurts and using them before the use-by date. I'm keen to know how often others calculate the savings they make on special offers before deciding whether or not to buy. I suspect many find it too difficult to bother, because I often do. I don't buy the product at all if I can't work out how much I'm saving, but most people seem to go the other way, and buy the product at the special offer in whatever quantity's required to get it.

Sorry if you feel I've hijacked your thread a bit CompNut.

[CompNut]

tell-me-more,
Thanks for your interesting contribution about your pupils' supermarket left-right handedness experiments.
Yes, youngsters should be made more aware of the supermarket tricks to get one to spend more, it'll help them in later life.
I confess to being a sucker for 'special offers' or Buy one get one free, (and competitions, dare I say!) but only if they are things I normally use. As for adding-up, amid the hustle-bustle of supermarkets I find that mental arithmetic goes a bit haywire, but I know to the nearest pence what I'm buying!
Best wishes, and thanks again,
CompNut.

[CompNut]

P.S If anyone else has something to add to

tell-me-more's question about how people calculate savings

on supermarket offers, please do follow on here and let him
know.

Thanks.