Sale prices and urgency, checked.
Six sale tactics small businesses reach for: 'was' prices, countdowns, checkout fees, 'up to' headlines and 'only 2 left'. Whether each works, what the evidence says, and where the law draws the line, while there is time to plan the sale.
The series
The 3 claims so far, and our verdicts
3 of 6 parts are out. The other 3 follow, and each is added here the day it goes live.
A 'was' price makes a sale sell better.
TrueTrue, and only a genuine one is legal
The CMA's review of the research says a reference price raises how much shoppers value an offer and their intention to buy. That is why one that misleads about the saving can break consumer law.
Read the pieceA countdown timer makes people buy.
Partly truePartly true: it can hurry a sale, and a false one is banned
The CMA's evidence review finds that limiting how long a promotion runs can speed up purchases, with an effect that depends on context. A countdown that resets instead of ending the offer is a banned practice.
Read the pieceAdding the booking fee at checkout sells more than showing it upfront.
TrueTrue, and the CMA says it is illegal
The CMA's evidence review says research has consistently found that drip pricing makes people more likely to buy and less likely to shop around. The CMA also says hiding unavoidable fees until later is illegal.
Read the piece
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