Dear Men: Here's Why You Have A Harder Time Finding Deals At The Store
But who is more likely to be swayed by flashy hues — men or women?
A study published in the Journal of Retailing reports found that when men see prices marked in red, they assume they're about to get a bargain, even if the prices are no different from others.
Researchers pooled men and women and gave them consumer catalogs to look through. One group had a version with red prices, the other with black prices.
Red prices were more likely dupe men into thinking they were saving money, while women were more likely read the print. Men also had a more emotional response. They were happier and more satisfied than the people who viewed items with black prices.
There's one silver lining here. A follow-up study found men weren't as color blind when it came to bargain shopping for something they really wanted. The more engaged they were in the item they intended to purchase, the more closely they read the fine print.
The moral of the story: You probably don't want an impulsive guy doing your grocery shopping for you. But if there's a specific purchase you're about to make and you know a guy who is interested in it, chances are you might benefit from having an extra set of eyes searching for a good deal.