[tomsmeding]

I don't doubt there are interesting things in that book, but this particular one feels just so unsurprising: people are likely to notice that the flip-flops in the two bins are remarkably similar, and see that one is cheaper. They don't see a reason to buy the more expensive one so they choose the cheaper one.

It would have been more interesting had people chosen the more expensive one. There is a folk theory that you can get people to do this if you add an even more expensive option -- the "middle" option is the most attractive.

[m000]

> There is a folk theory that you can get people to do this if you add an even more expensive option -- the "middle" option is the most attractive.

I don't think it's a folk theory at all. This trick is used a lot in restaurant menus/wine lists.

[robocat]

> restaurant menus/wine lists

I wonder how much of that is due to the abnormal social pressure situation where your buying is public and you don't want to be seen as cheap.

A similar dynamic might occur with a bunch of people shopping together, for clothes maybe? I'm a guy that doesn't shop with others so I don't have experience here.

One bar in an upmarket area in my own town had a house wine on the menu much cheaper (I think 7 when the cheapest labeled wine might have been 14 or so). Seemed smart to me.

Although there is also some internal pressure, to not feel cheap to yourself.

For gifts the dynamics change completely since the recipient might not know the price.

[modo_mario]

I assume the actual idea is that people would sometimes buy the cheaper one because the expensive option is there. A few more people would buy them than if there were just a single bin because they're thinking they're getting a good deal.