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Is Black Friday the ultimate pushy pattern?

Black Friday

What should you do when the urge to buy just rolls over you? The sale will end shortly, stock is running low and the “Buy Now - button” screams your name. Leading up to Black Friday, consumption researcher Carys Egan-Wyer from LUSEM has some advice for you.

It's all about convincing us that we have short-lived access to a special price, which in reality might not be true at all. Pushy patterns are designed into online shopping websites to encourage impulse purchases . For instance it can be a count down timer, a  stock count or a "Buy Now!"-button on the website.

By removing friction from the buying process, pushy patterns reduce your mental load, but they also reduce your time for reconsidering your purchase.

With Black Friday fast approaching Carys' best advice is, "Simply pause". Pause and think about if you really need what you are about to buy.