舌尖上的美國(128):購物中的小竅門

購物小竅門

Bring a calculator with you

帶上計算器去購物

即使很明顯是打折比較划算，消費者的數學盲點依然存在。在另一項實驗中，這次實驗對象是阿克什勞的本科生，阿克什勞給出了兩種購買散裝咖啡豆的方法：免費多送33%和價格降低33%。這個折扣比免費贈送划算得多，但那些看起來很聰明的學生卻認爲兩者一樣。

Studies have shown other ways in which retailers can exploit consumers’innumeracy. One is to befuddle them with double discounting. People are more likely to see a bargain in a product that has been reduced by 20%, and then by an additional 25%, than one which has been subject to an equivalent, one-off, 40% reduction.

這些研究表明零售商還有其他方式可以利用消費者的數學盲點。其中一種就是用折上折來迷惑他們。人們往往會覺得，先打八折再打七五折比一次性只打六折更划算，其實兩者根本一樣。

Marketing types can draw lessons beyond just pricing, says Mr Rao. When advertising a new car’s efficiency, for example, it is more convincing to talk about the number of extra miles per gallon it does, rather than the equivalent percentage fall in fuel consumption.

阿克什勞說，除了產品定價，人們還可以從這些研究中學到關於市場營銷的其他技巧。例如，爲一款新車的性能做廣告，宣傳每加侖的油能多跑多少英里比實質上能省多少油更有說服力。

There may be lessons for regulators too. Even well-educated shoppers are easily foxed. Sending everyone back to school for maths refresher-courses seems out of the question. But more prominently displayed unit prices in shops and advertisements would be a great help or you can bring a calculator with you.

監管部門也可能從中學到東西。即使是受過良好教育的購物者也很容易被忽悠。讓大家重返校園進修數學似乎不大可能，不過在商店和廣告中更明顯地標出產品單價將會有莫大的幫助.或者你可以帶上計算機。