Learn to dodge the hard sell at UAE shopping malls

Don't be fooled by the hard-sell tactics at the sales, warns Nima Abu Wardeh. Retailers will do anything to lure you in to make a purchase.

Illustration by Gary Clement for The National

Cobalt blue. I love the colour. But the earrings don't sit perfectly - no, I won't buy them.
I put the trinkets down and wait to pay for a blouse. A woman asks after them. The assistant says they are the last pair. Suddenly everything changes: I have to have them. There are no more. And another person wants them.
How irrational is that? Very. How common is that? Very. The earrings became more attractive to me because they were becoming less available.
A classic case of: Rara sunt cara as the Romans would say - rare is valuable.
Today we're talking about scarcity and how we behave when we believe we're going to go without.
As a rule, if an item is rare, or becoming rare, it is more valuable. You can see this at play with collectors of things such as stamps, coins and antiques, where people vie for something that is one of a kind:
"It has an imperfection? Perfect. I'll have it."
It's odd if you think about it: things that would have been assigned to the rubbish heap when they were made - like a double-struck coin - are coveted.
We don't limit this "must have" behaviour to possessions - it comes into play with every aspect of life - like relationships, for example. The thought of losing something appears to dominate - rather than what will be or can be gained.
And nowhere do we see this come to life more than during sale season.
Shop fronts are adorned with signs that scream out "Last few available", "Today only", "While stocks last".
The message is: if we're not quick, we'll lose out.
Lose out on what exactly?
It's time for us to take a step back from being sucked in by "scarcity", and have more control over our behaviour. But it's difficult.
The more I find out about the real-life tactics of sales people, the more amazed I am at how easily we are manipulated, while wondering how the professionals bring themselves to - for want of a better word - lie.
Living in the UAE, we are spared a lot of the hard-sell methods that happen elsewhere such as this: a potential customer loiters at a washing machine and shows all the signs of being very interested. Ah, but the sales person bears bad news: this machine is the last one and was sold to another couple just a few minutes ago.
You can guess how the story goes: gauging the reaction of the customer, the sales person suggests he can make absolutely sure if the last one has gone, "but only if you are sure you want to buy".
"Yes", comes the reply.
He miraculously finds one and conveys the good news with sales contract in hand. The new owners of the machine are relieved, having thought they'd lost out on a great find. Yep. It's the right decision. After all, the hundreds, if not thousands, of other people who bought it must be right.
"Only 10 are being made in this colour." "This is the last one." "This is our best-seller."
Go on, if you saw something you really liked and were told one of the above, wouldn't it make your fingers itch to reach for your wallet?
Textbook behaviour would have us motivated by need and limited by scarcity.
Real-life behaviour couldn't be more different. We're often motivated by want and encouraged by scarcity.
Be honest, what have you bought recently because you were manipulated by scarcity? Next time you're told there's a deadline, limited stock or that prices will go up, step away. Remind yourself why you are there, what you need, how much money you have to spend and whether the thing on offer fits your bill.
I'm becoming more tuned into my reactions to the principle of scarcity. Sure I get sucked in every now and then, but I'll have you know that the earrings are not among my possessions.
Not only is it a case of sticking to my initial decision not to buy, but, come to think about it, why would I want to be gallivanting around in something that countless other people could be wearing too. A bit of snobbery can serve you well, my friends.
Remember there will always be another sale, and there will always be stuff that you love and "must have".
Your money, however, is not a limitless supply, nor are your days on Earth. Make them count.
Nima Abu Wardeh is the founder of the personal finance website cashy.me. You can reach her at [e-mail].
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