Shoppers have been as thoroughly studied as lab rats and the research has resulted in scientifically proven approaches to influence shopper’s emotions, to heighten their insecurities and to trick them in to buying things they don’t need or want.Joe Consumer has put together 10 of the most common retail tricks, along with tips for how to avoid being taken in. While some of these things may seem like common sense, each is a reaction to a specific tactic retailers use to get you to buy just one more thing.

My, that’s a big basket you’ve got there
Stores have hundreds of enormous shopping carts parked conveniently at the entrance. Once you have selected something, you’re more likely to “find” additional items – after all, that empty space in the cart is just begging to be filled, you must have something else you can buy, right?

Tip: If you can skip the cart and make do with a basket, you’ll reduce the temptation to over buy. If you can get by without the basket, even better!

Mirror, mirror on the wall…
Vanity mirrors slow you down and keep you looking, but there is more than meets the eye. Most people can’t help but check themselves out, and who’s 100% satisfied with what they see? Making you more self-conscious helps you see new items as a solution. You are more likely to buy, when you’ve walked out of the house in something less flattering than what’s on the rack in front of you.

Tip: Wear something that looks good on you while you shop, and avoid mirrors unless you’re already trying something on. Not only will you feel more confident and buy less, you’ll generally get better service too.

Buy in bulk and save?
Misleading bulk sales are another retail favorite. There’s no difference between $5 each and the four for $20 on sale, except that you just might end up with three more than you wanted. Also, products sold in different volumes and weights often have prices that are chosen to confuse you. Shoppers tend to look at $10.49 for 48 ounces and think it’s the equivalent of $4.99 for 24 ounces even though it’s not -you’re paying more for less! Most grocery stores and pharmacies are required to provide per unit pricing signage, but these often don’t reflect sale prices.

Even when it is actually cheaper per unit to buy in bulk, it doesn’t mean you should! Do you really need a gallon of mayonnaise, or 1000 clothes hangers?

Tip: Compare unit prices, use that calculator on your cell phone, and don’t buy more than you can use, no matter the “savings”.

How did they stack all those boxes like that?
Those towering displays of intricately stacked boxes are called power displays, and they are meant to be speed bumps to slow you down and distract you from finding what you came for. Stores like Ikea have taken this to a whole new level. Their layout is specifically designed to require every shopper at least momentary exposure to every major showroom and floor, which increases the chance that you’ll come out with more than what you came in for.

Tip: Look for shortcut signs to areas of choice & beeline to the checkout.

To get to the cheese, you have to get through the maze
Milk, bread, restrooms — all the essentials — are all in the back of the store, because they’re staples that everyone needs, and relatively low margin. Putting them there forces you to check out other merchandise along the way. Getting them first can help you stick to your list.

Tip: Beeline to the back and work your way forward.

Bargain bins and going-out-of business sales
We all love feeling like we got a good deal, but don’t be fooled! While some stores pay their clerks to be obsessive about precisely-folded sweaters on display, others actually pay them to make sure the displays are just a bit little messy, because shoppers interpret that (often unconsciously) as a cue that other people thought it was a deal too. Others retailers are known to have annual moving sales, year end sales and re-opening sales that just amount to taking their leftovers off hangers and dumping them into clearance bins.

Tip: Evaluate the value of a “bargain” objectively, not by how wrinkled it is.

Oooh, something smells amazing!
Stores and restaurants love to stimulate your appetite with provocative sights and smells. Grocery stores capitalize on hungry consumers by offering free samples, but this isn’t charity any more than the smell of freshly baked bread is an accident. These are signals to excite you and tempt you into buying foods that are likely no better for your financial health than your physical health.

Tip: Eat before you shop, or if you’re out shopping for the day, pack a water bottle and a snack!

Save even more with our charge card!
There’s a reason why department stores so cheerfully help you afford that overpriced indulgence with a discount on with a store charge card – they make the money later. You’re much more likely to buy big impulse items if you don’t have to count the dollars out the wallet you are holding.

Tip: Pay in cash. Going to the ATM and physically seeing your bank balance gives you that extra time to consider.

Retailers love to put children to work “helping” you find things
Manufacturers advertise to children aggressively, so kids are primed to seek out products they have been exposed too. Stores know that catching a kid’s attention is a great way to get distracted parents to fork over cash for an impulse buy, and they purposefully put colorful, fun, shiny items within their reach.

Tip: Try to leave the kids at home, or have someone watch them. People tend to shop more efficiently without partners and friends, too.

Checking out? One last thing…
Drinks, candy, gum, media – all right by the checkout counter. This section is convenient in part because it is compact and limited, but it also means you can’t compare prices, and may not get your favorite brand.

Tip: Ask yourself if you actually need it, or if it’s worth your place in line to compare prices.

We hope this helps you be a more savvy consumer. For more information on how all of this works pick up a copy of the National best-sellers “Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping,” by Paco Underhill. While the book was written for retailers to help them sell more, but that makes it the perfect tool for YOU to get inside a retailers head. If you know about other retail tricks, please leave a comment.

(CNN) — The Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera released a full transcript Monday of the most recent videotape from Osama bin Laden in which the head of al Qaeda said his group’s goal is to force America into bankruptcy.

Al-Jazeera aired portions of the videotape Friday but released the full transcript of the entire tape on its Web site Monday.

“We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah,” bin Laden said in the transcript.

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, “using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers.”

“We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat,” bin Laden said.

He also said al Qaeda has found it “easy for us to provoke and bait this administration.”

“All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note other than some benefits for their private corporations,” bin Laden said.

Al-Jazeera executives said they decided to post the entire speech because rumors were circulating that the network omitted parts that “had direct threats toward specific states, which was totally untrue.”

“We chose the most newsworthy parts of the address and aired them. The rest was used in lower thirds in graphics format,” said one official.

U.S. intelligence officials Monday confirmed that the transcript made public Monday by Al-Jazeera was a complete one.

As part of the “bleed-until-bankruptcy plan,” bin Laden cited a British estimate that it cost al Qaeda about $500,000 to carry out the attacks of September 11, 2001, an amount that he said paled in comparison with the costs incurred by the United States.

“Every dollar of al Qaeda defeated a million dollars, by the permission of Allah, besides the loss of a huge number of jobs,” he said. “As for the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars.

The total U.S. national debt is more than $7 trillion. The U.S. federal deficit was $413 billion in 2004, according to the Treasury Department.

Full story here: http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/01/binladen.tape/

He looks like shit… I guess the karma was getting to him.

Unfortunately, those statisticians aren’t fortune tellers and sometimes (ok, a lot of times), their figures are off. When the figures are off, it’s still a better deal for the airline to give you a $300 travel voucher than it is to risk letting a seat fly empty.

So how can you cash in on all of this free travel? Here are seven tips to releasing your inner Free Travel Royalty:

- Show up early
This may sound like a no-brainer, but the early bird gets the worm. Arrive at the gate at least an hour and fifteen minutes before your scheduled departure and ask the gate agent if he needs volunteers. If he isn’t sure, give him your name just in case. This doesn’t commit you to volunteering, but it might get you first dibs on those choice ticket vouchers.

- Choose your flights carefully
If you really want to scope out the overbooked flights, check out AOW (Airlines of the Web). Search for your flight of choice and then take a look at the string of numbers and letters on the side. Those letters refer to the class (First, Business, Coach, etc.) from highest to lowest and the numbers refer to the number of remaining seats in the corresponding class. Keep in mind that the highest possible number is nine, so if the number listed is nine, the real figure could be much higher. Ideally, you want to find a flight with zeros (or close to zero) all the way across.

Mornings are better than evenings—airlines are more likely to overbook these early flights, knowing that they have a better chance of delaying passengers to a later flight. Holidays, Saturday mornings, and Sunday evenings are good bets, too. Similarly, popular destinations are goldmines for the flexible traveler. Las Vegas, Hawaii, and major business travel hubs like New York, Minneapolis, and Chicago are common sites of overbookings.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s February 2008 Air Travel Consumer Report, some of the best airlines for overbooking are Delta, American Eagle, and US Airways. If you fly Jet Blue or Air Tran, your chances of being bumped are practically nil.

- Be flexible
Whenever possible, try to let your travel day be a travel day and avoid scheduling meetings or sightseeing trips for your first day in town. This is good advice for lowering your blood pressure on a hectic trip and it’s good advice that can allow you the time for getting bumped.

- Travel light
Sometimes finding volunteers is like pulling teeth, but if the competition is fierce, airlines tend to prefer volunteers who don’t have checked baggage. On a similar note, one of the few downsides to getting bumped is the extra opportunity for the airline to lose your checked luggage. Try to stick to carry-on bags. If you can leave the turbo deluxe hair dryer and extra set of golf clubs at home, do so.

- Be prepared
Before setting foot in the airport, decide how late you are willing to be delayed and the lowest dollar amount you’re willing to take. Similarly, if you’re traveling with a party, decide who will take the later flight if there aren’t enough seats for everyone. Are you willing to be split up? Overnight? For how much money? Once the agent makes an offer, you will need to be ready with an answer or she might just take the next volunteer.

If possible, you should consult the flight schedule so that you can make suggestions to the agent of later flights and even alternate destinations that you prefer. I flew to New York recently to visit friends and was scheduled to arrive in Newark and then take a train into the city. When I was “bumped” the gate agent switched me to a later flight that flew directly to La Guardia, landing me in Manhattan half an hour sooner than originally scheduled.

- Take the travel voucher
A free roundtrip ticket sounds like a good deal, but the travel voucher is totally the way to go. The roundtrip ticket is usually subject to blackout dates and all sorts of other restrictions which greatly limit when and where you can fly. Additionally, free roundtrip tickets are usually exempt from earning frequent flier miles. Travel vouchers, on the other hand, can be used just about any time, anywhere and the flights you purchase usually earn miles.

- Get what you deserve
After making your deal, hang around within earshot of the gate (if you don’t have to run to make your next flight). If you hear another traveler negotiate a better deal, wait until the gate agent is finished and politely request to be offered the same terms. She doesn’t have to say yes, but it rarely hurts to ask.

On a similar note, realize that you are often entitled to extras. If you have a long wait in the airport, ask for a meal voucher and a calling card. If you’re staying overnight, make sure that the airline is paying for your hotel and offering a shuttle to and from the airport. Request an upgrade to first class on your later flight and request a day pass to the airline’s club lounge (where you will often find free drinks, snacks, wi-fi, and sometimes even showers), particularly if your delay is long and inconvenient (such as an overnight stay, a different arrival airport, or an extra connecting flight).

The airline is often desperate and you’re in a good position to bargain, but remember that there are often other volunteers who are happy to take your place, so be courteous in your requests. As the saying goes: You’ll catch more flights with honey than with vinegar.

- A Final Tip
It’s not uncommon to score multiple travel vouchers on a single trip. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your level of flexibility. If you’d like to keep your delays to a minimum, ask the gate agent to confirm your seat reservation on your later flight. If your later flight is delayed or canceled, ask to see a copy of the airline’s contract of carriage to determine your rights in the case of an Involuntary Denied Boarding (IDB). The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that a copy of the contract of carriage be made available to passengers at the airline ticket counter.

You may have heard of Rule 240, which originally required airlines facing delays to transfer you to another carrier if another flight with available seats could get you to your destination sooner. This rule is no longer in effect, but many airlines make similar promises to their customers and, if your airline makes such a promise, you should know about it.

Back two to three years ago, you were able to turn in cereal box tops; which in turn amounted to free air miles. I was able to fly myself and another from Miami, FL to New York. Best of all, we were able to get front row seats (more leg room). Too bad the offer is no longer available. :\