Question

external shopping cues are a type of marketing that uses obvious messaging - a display featuring a new product, for example, or a “buy one, get one free” offer - to entice consumers to make spontaneous purchases. in a study, data scientist sam k. hui and colleagues found that this effect can also be achieved with a less obvious cue: rearranging a stores layout. the researchers explain that trying to find items in new locations causes shoppers to move through more of the store, exposing them to more products and increasing the likelihood that theyll buy an item they hadnt planned on purchasing. which response from a survey given to shoppers who made a purchase at a retail store best supports the researchers explanation? a “i needed to buy some cleaning supplies, but they werent in their regular place. while i was looking for them, i saw this interesting notebook and decided to buy it, too.” b “i didnt buy everything on my shopping list today. i couldnt find a couple of the items in the store, even though i looked all over for them.” c “the store sent me a coupon for a new brand of soup, so i came here to find out what kinds of soup that brand offers. i decided to buy a few cans because i had the coupon.” d “this store is larger than one thats closer to where i live, and it carries more products. i came here to buy some things that the other store doesnt always have.”

Explanation:

The researchers' explanation is that rearranging a store's layout (a less - obvious shopping cue) makes shoppers move through more of the store, exposing them to more products and increasing the likelihood of unplanned purchases. Option A shows a shopper looking for one item, moving around the store, and making an unplanned purchase of a notebook while searching, which supports the explanation. Option B just mentions not finding items on the list. Option C is about a coupon (an obvious cue) bringing the shopper in. Option D is about the store's size and product variety, not about the effect of store layout on unplanned purchases.

Answer:

A. "I needed to buy some cleaning supplies, but they weren't in their regular place. While I was looking for them, I saw this interesting notebook and decided to buy it, too."