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Curriculum Shopping, Advertising & Consumer Choice

Shopping, Advertising & Consumer Choice

The economics behind what we buy - advertising, brands, prices ending in 99, decoys, loyalty points, shrinkflation, sales and accessible shopping.

  1. Why Companies Advertise The economic reasons firms spend so much on advertising, from informing buyers to signalling quality and building brand loyalty. 📄 Read-aloud
  2. What a Brand Is Worth Why people pay more for branded products, how brands reduce uncertainty for buyers, and how companies value their brand names. 📄 Read-aloud
  3. Why Prices End in 99 The psychology and evidence behind charm pricing, and why a price of 9.99 can feel much cheaper than 10. 📄 Read-aloud
  4. The Decoy Effect How adding a third, less attractive option can steer people toward a particular choice, and how businesses use it. 📄 Read-aloud
  5. The Economics of Loyalty Programmes Why shops, airlines and apps reward repeat customers with points and perks, and what they gain in return, including your data. 📄 Read-aloud
  6. Shrinkflation Why companies sometimes shrink package sizes instead of raising prices, how it hides inflation, and what governments are doing about it. 📄 Read-aloud
  7. Shopping, Advertising & Consumer Choice: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on advertising, brands, charm pricing, decoys and loyalty programmes. 5 questions
  8. Why Shops Hold Sales The economics behind seasonal sales, festival discounts and events like Black Friday, including price discrimination over time and clearing stock. 📄 Read-aloud
  9. Store Brands vs Name Brands Why supermarkets sell their own brands, how they compare in quality and price, and how they affect competition with big manufacturers. 📄 Read-aloud
  10. Planned Obsolescence Whether products are deliberately designed to wear out or become outdated, famous examples, and the right-to-repair response. 📄 Read-aloud
  11. Consumer Confidence and Spending How surveys measure how optimistic households feel, why consumer mood matters for the economy, and how well confidence predicts spending. 📄 Read-aloud
  12. Shopping Without Sight: Accessibility in Retail The barriers blind and visually impaired people face when shopping in stores and online, the size of the disabled consumer market, and how retailers can improve. 📄 Read-aloud
  13. Anchors in the Aisle: Reference Prices and "Was" Prices How shops use reference prices, bundles and comparisons to shape what feels like a good deal, and how to judge prices on their own terms. 📄 Read-aloud
  14. The Resale Economy: Second-Hand Goes Mainstream Why buying and selling used phones, clothes, cars and furniture has become big business, and what it means for prices, the environment and new-product sales. 📄 Read-aloud

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