Last week, I found myself standing in Target with a cart full of items I hadn't planned to buy. A decorative throw pillow that "perfectly matched" my couch. A kitchen gadget I'd use maybe twice. Three different notebooks because they were "on sale." Sound familiar?
We live in an era of unprecedented consumer choice, yet somehow we keep making purchases that leave us wondering, "Why did I buy this?" The answer lies in a fascinating web of psychological triggers that retailers have