Next time you’re raiding the sales bins or wandering aimlessly around a shopping centre, have a look to see if you can spot any clocks on the walls. Turns out, you probably won’t
Time flies when you’re shopping to your heart’s content – not that you’d ever notice.
Even amid the cost-of-living crisis, many Brits love nothing more than a day out shopping. Perhaps you tell yourself you’re just going to browse and not actually buy anything, but deep down you know you’ll come back home with a brand new wardrobe of clothes and a lot less money.
Shopping is ingrained in our culture, and even when we were kids – nothing beats a day out aimlessly wandering around shops and stopping off for food. But, the next time you’re raiding through the sales bin at River Island, or grabbing a bite to eat in Westfields – have a look around and see if you can spot any clocks. You probably won’t, and it turns out there’s a reason why.
Speaking to the Metro, psychologist Laura Geige says this is done on purpose, in a ‘meticulously crafted strategy’ rooted in ‘consumer psychology. “Shopping centres are engineered to be self-contained universes where the concept of time is subtly manipulated,” the expert added.
“The deliberate omission of clocks is a strategic element of environmental psychology, aiming to disengage you from the passage of time.” In layman’s terms, the less aware of the time you longer you will shop – ergo the more money you’ll end up forking out. Clever, right?
Want to avoid the doom and gloom? Get the latest positive news sent straight to your inbox with our Bright Stuff newsletter
Shopping centres aren’t the only places that use this trick, which is often referred to as ‘temporal distortion’ (aka, making you forget about the real world). A notorious example of the psychological device can be found in Las Vegas – the home of casinos.
Former gambling addict and author of Casino Management Bill Friedman says casinos in Nevada originally had clocks inside, but were quickly removed after gamblers complained. “[They] don’t want time,” the expert told The Hustle. “They are in a fantasy and an escape world.”
In fact, one casino that was built with a side covered in glass saw a staggering 85-90 per cent of customers leave when the sun started to peek over the buildings on the strip. That’s why you’ll often not see any huge windows in casinos or shopping centres – because obscuring any sense of time or normality can put people off spending more.
Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]
