What happens to your brain when you see the word: "SALE"
and how to not fall for it!
It’s Memorial Day and I’m seeing the classic retail trigger word popping up everywhere: “SALE”. This word carries such power, such promise. Flash it in red letters and suddenly you’re halfway to checkout with three dresses you didn’t know you needed but are definitely convinced you’ll wear to something.
If you’re normal, you’ve likely been bamboozled by a sale before in your lifetime and have something hanging in your closet that you’ve never touched to show for it. For me, it was a suede poncho from Anthropologie. It hung in my closet for 7 years with the tags still on before I decided I should probably part ways with it.
What’s happening in our brains that make us make such rash purchases? Here are the four phases of brain-meets-sale.
Phase 1: Dopamine hit
“SALE” screams potential victory. It lights up your brain’s reward center before you’ve even made the purchase. The anticipation gets you just as much as the purchase itself.
Phase 2: Scarcity mindset/loss aversion
We are biologically wired to fear loss more than we crave gain. So not buying that 30% off coat doesn’t feel like saving $200… it feels like losing a coat. Sales = scarcity. When you see the little popup when you’re shopping that says “ONLY 1 LEFT” or phrases like “LIMITED TIME ONLY” it’s basically emotional blackmail!
Phase 3: Rationalization aka girl math
Since you’re hard wired to avoid this “loss” you naturally rationalize it so it seems like a loss not to get it. Even if you already have three pairs of loafers, buying another similar pair at half off just seems like the right thing to do because you’re basically saving $90. Right??? No babe, you’re not.
Phase 4: Purchase = more dopamine
Retail therapy is a documented emotional regulator. Buying makes us feel empowered, accomplished, even soothed. And often, it’s a shared experience. You may be shopping at the mall with friends or simply texting your mom/sister/friends “do I need this???" followed by a dressing room mirror selfie or a screenshot.
When your judgement is clouded by dopamine and other strong emotions you are an easy target. As you navigate the Memorial Day sales this year watch out for these common sales tactics that are formulated to trick you into buying!!
Charm Pricing: $49.99 feels cheaper than $50. Your brain registers the first number and stops there.
Anchoring: Showing the original price next to the sale price (“Was $120, now $65”) makes the discount feel bigger, even if $65 was the real target all along.
Bait pricing/lure discounting: up to 70% off, your brain sees 70% off and thinks things are a way better deal than they are because most aren’t actually 70% off.
Urgency and scarcity: “Only 3 left!” or “Ends tonight!” creates panic and triggers FOMO and loss aversion.
Price framing: Placing full-price items next to marked-down ones makes the sale item look like a steal.
Tiered Discounting: AKA buy more to save more sales. The trickiest of them all imo.
Quantity discount: Buy one get one, everyone loves “free” stuff!
“Exclusive” discounts: “Members only,” “early access,” or “private sale” makes it feel like a privilege, makes you feel important.
Consider not shopping Memorial Day sales at all and fixing up something you already have! Get a dress altered, get that coat dry-cleaned, or take your old shoes to a cobbler. Consider spending some time in nature, eating a homemade meal, or exercising to get a similar dopamine boost!
If you are going to be Memorial Day shopping because you simply can’t miss out on the fun, do yourself a favor and consult this effective and aesthetic chart created by
(writer of Brands and Bobs) to avoid buying your version of a suede poncho taking up space in your closet for 7 years.
I’m not saying that shopping sales is an inherently bad thing. What I’m saying is that sales have strong psychological effects on our brains which can cause us to buy things we don’t need and won’t use. Being aware of these effects can save you from making wasteful and buyers-regret-inducing purchases down the road!
xx,
Addi
Sources:
Author not listed. (n.d.). This is your brain on discounts. Medium. Retrieved May 26, 2025, from Medium.com: article titled “This is your brain on discounts”.
Dizik, A. (2016, November 24). Shopping a sale gives you the same feeling as getting high. BBC Worklife. Retrieved May 26, 2025, from BBC Worklife article page. BBC
Selyukh, A. (2023, November 24). Why are sales so hard to resist? It's your brain, on discounts [Transcript]. NPR. Retrieved May 26, 2025, from NPR transcript page. NPRNPR
This is excellent. Thank you for writing this!!