Don't fall for these marketing tactics this holiday season

Summary

Life Kit from NPR

Episode: Don't Fall for These Marketing Tactics This Holiday Season

Host: Marielle Segarra
Guests: Brian Vines (Consumer Reports), Lindsay Weeks (Brad’s Deals)
Date: November 25, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Life Kit arms listeners with practical strategies to avoid falling for the manipulative marketing tactics retailers use—especially heightened during the holiday season. Host Marielle Segarra, joined by experts Brian Vines and Lindsay Weeks, breaks down psychological tricks like urgency, price anchoring, and aspirational marketing, offering straightforward advice to help shoppers make satisfying, wallet-friendly decisions. Listener tips and a closing poem round out the episode.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ubiquitous Holiday Marketing Push

• Inbox Promotions: The episode opens with Marielle and Brian “doom-scrolling” through a barrage of holiday sales emails, joking about their predictability.
  • Notable quote:
    • “Is it scary in there?” —Brian Vines (00:42)
    • “Last chance, last chance, last chance, last chance... lies.” —Marielle Segarra (00:59)
    • “Leave the last chance to Donna Summers. There’s never been a last chance since Donna Summer recorded that record.” —Brian Vines (01:03)
• Marketing is Everywhere: Marielle observes that aggressive sales tactics reach us far beyond email: “Just walk or ride down the street. Turn on your phone or tv, open up your browser. They're everywhere.” (01:33)

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2. Tactic #1: Creating False Urgency

• Action Words: Words like “Buy now!” and “Last chance!” are designed to push you into a rushed decision.
  • “Rush, rush, rush. All of these are action words that propel you towards putting things into carts that you might not have used use for.” —Brian Vines (04:02)
• FOMO: Retailers exploit the “fear of missing out.”
  • “If you don't purchase this right now, you'll never get this deal again.” —Lindsay Weeks (04:58)
• Pause & Reflect:
  • Takeaway: “Anytime you’re shopping... ask yourself: Am I feeling a sense of urgency right now? And is there actually any urgency? What would happen if I waited?” —Marielle Segarra (05:07)
  • Wait on purchases, especially over $50–100; sleep on it. (Lindsay Weeks, 05:36)
  • Listener advice: Wait a few hours for anything over $20, check return and shipping policies before committing. (06:00)
  • “Don’t fall for that false sense that you’re gonna miss out because they make things 24 hours a day, and you will not miss the boat.” —Brian Vines (05:22)

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3. Tactic #2: Price Anchoring and Deceptive Discounts

• Price Anchoring: Listing falsely inflated “original” prices to make discounts look steeper.
  • “Originally $200 marked down to $100, on sale now for $20. That $200 is what we call a price anchor.” —Lindsay Weeks (07:25)
• Sale Price Manipulation: Retailers may hike base prices before a “discount.”
• Focus on the real cost:
  • Takeaway: “Focus on the actual price of an item. These sneakers cost $20. That's all you have to grapple with...” —Marielle Segarra (07:54)
  • Use price comparison tools—but beware of data privacy/trade-offs. Quick internet searches or secondhand options can provide context for what’s actually a deal. (08:30–09:00)
• In-store Haggling: Show associates competitor offers and ask for price-matching—“Always go with a smile.” —Brian Vines (09:16)

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4. Tactic #3: Selling the Fantasy—Aspirational Marketing

• Emotional Manipulation: Ads project images of the perfect holiday, family, or self to trigger “longing” and get you to buy.
  • “Marketers sell you a fantasy... they all play to your aspirational, I’ve-got-stuff-together side.” —Brian Vines (11:47)
  • “If you find yourself pulling out your cash or typing in your credit card info and longing for something, or fantasizing about some idealized version of yourself or your family... pause.” —Marielle Segarra (12:02)
• Alternative gift ideas: Homemade gifts, secondhand treasures, or experiences can bring joy without feeding commercial pressures. (12:30)

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5. Shopping Strategically—Tips & Techniques

Takeaway: When it’s time to buy, plan and research for the best value.

• End-of-Season Buys: Buy winter gear at the end of the season, not in the midst.
  • “A lot of times the sales are tied to retail inventory cycles... you can get really big sales.” —Lindsay Weeks (13:10)
• Electronics: Buy soon after new models are released; previous year’s versions will be steeply discounted. (13:37–13:42)
• Derivative Models: “Doorbuster” deals on electronics may be lesser-featured versions made for holiday sales.
  • “...might not have as many HDMI inputs. The remote control might be a little more simplified…” —Brian Vines (13:57)
  • “For some of us, that simplified remote is a blessing.” —Brian Vines (14:42)
• ‘Pink Tax’: “Items sold in girls or women’s sections of a store will often be marked up compared to … boys or men’s.” —Marielle explains (15:00)
  • “A pink razor might be a little bit more expensive when it’s the exact same thing.” —Lindsay Weeks (15:11)
• Kids’ Sizes for Savings: Buy kids’ sizes in shoes for smaller feet—can save $40–80 (15:39)
• Policies Matter: Check retailers’ price match and adjustment policies; some refund the difference if the price drops soon after you buy. (15:59)

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Memorable Listener Tips & Community Moments

• Linda in California: Waits hours before a purchase, checks return and shipping, then decides. (06:00)
• Genevieve Franklin’s Poem:
  “Stop the shop. Shop your closet, every drawer. Shop your pantry and yet more. Shop your bookshelves and garage. Hello best self. Bye, garbage.” (16:49)

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Main Takeaways & Recap (17:04)

1. Notice if you’re feeling “urgency”—pause and question if it’s real.
2. Focus on the item’s real price, not hyped discounts or fake “original” prices.
3. If the purchase stirs strong emotion—pause, reflect, don’t succumb to fantasies.
4. Shop smart:

• Buy out-of-season
• Consider last year’s models
• Evaluate “derivative” holiday deals for fit
• Seek deals in men’s/kids’ sections
• Favor stores with price adjustment
• Don’t hesitate to compare or ask for discounts

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “Is it scary in there?” —Brian Vines (00:42)
• “Buy now. Last chance.” —Marielle Segarra (03:59)
• “Don’t fall for that false sense that you’re gonna miss out…” —Brian Vines (05:22)
• “...wait on anything over $50 or $100. Take 24 hours before you make my decision.” —Lindsay Weeks (05:36)
• “If you find yourself…longing for something, or fantasizing about some idealized version of yourself or your family…pause.” —Marielle Segarra (12:02)
• “A pink razor might be a little bit more expensive when it’s the exact same thing…” —Lindsay Weeks (15:11)
• Listener Poem: “Shop your closet, every drawer. Shop your pantry and yet more...” —Genevieve Franklin (16:49)

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Useful Timestamps

• [00:18] Holiday email marketing walkthrough
• [03:59] Retailer tactics: urgency and FOMO
• [07:02] Price anchoring explained
• [11:27] Fantasy and aspirational marketing
• [13:10] Planning purchases around sales cycles
• [13:57] “Derivative” holiday deal products
• [15:00] Pink tax and gendered pricing
• [15:59] Price match and adjustment policies
• [16:49] Listener poem and shopping philosophy
• [17:04] Recap of main takeaways

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Tone & Closing

Marielle keeps the episode practical, funny, and supportive—never scolding, just empowering you to be a savvy, contented shopper. Experts add warmth and lots of encouragement: You can still enjoy giving and getting gifts, but with more mindfulness and way fewer regrets.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want the best bits—minus the stress, hype, and FOMO.

Transcript

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[Marielle Segarra]

You're listening to Life Kit from npr. Hey, it's Marielle. You know what I like to do as a fun holiday season activity? Open the promotions tab on my email. I did this recently with Brian Vines. He's a reporter at Consumer Reports, a nonprofit that does product testing, consumer research and journalism.

[Brian Vines]

Is it scary in there?

[Marielle Segarra]

It's so scary. Before I even started reading the subject lines of the many marketing emails that I apparently signed up for, he was like, oh, I know what they're going to say.

[Brian Vines]

Well, they say buy now, extra 20% off factory sale.

[Marielle Segarra]

Last chance, last chance, last chance, last chance lies.

[Brian Vines]

Leave the last chance to Donna Summers. There's never been a last chance since Donna Summer recorded that record.

[Marielle Segarra]

Here's another one. Your exclusive 20% off starts now. Exclusive to me because I'm special.

[Brian Vines]

Well, it starts right now, so.

[Marielle Segarra]

And it starts now. I think My favorite was PSA. Our 72 hour clear out is on PSA. Public service announcement, as Brian pointed out.

[Capital One Advertiser]

Service to whom and what?

[Marielle Segarra]

I like this as an exercise because the ads are all concentrated in one place. But we all know you don't have to wade through your emails to be the target of a sales pitch, especially not this time of year. Just walk or ride down the street. Turn on your phone or your tv, open up your browser. They're everywhere. They being marketers and retailers. They see you when you're sleeping, they know when you're awake, et cetera, et cetera. And look, I'm not telling you to lock your wallet and your phone in a safe this holiday season and to spend zero money, but I would like for you to make purchases that you're happy with and that keep the most money in your pocket or your bank account as possible. So on this episode of Life Kit, we've got your guide to getting a deal this holiday season. We'll talk about the techniques that marketers use to grab our attention and how you can insulate yourself against them and make sure that if you think you're getting a deal, you actually are.

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[Marielle Segarra]

So buy now. Last chance.

[Brian Vines]

Rush, rush, rush. All of these are action words that propel you towards putting things into carts that you might not have used use for.

[Marielle Segarra]

We see this in the language that retailers use and also in the way they structure sales, Brian says. Think about Amazon Lightning Deals, for instance. To him, they feel like the old.

[Brian Vines]

Blue Light specials at Kmart, where, hey, attention Kmart Sharpers. If you run the aisle three right now, you can get this item for 20% less. I'm aging myself, but this is what the Flash deal promises. It's like at this moment, you get there, you put it in your cart and you go, or it's going to evaporate, he says.

[Marielle Segarra]

Retailers love it when you feel that urgency. They don't want you to think too hard about the purchase. Lindsay Weeks is the editor in chief at Brad's Deals, a free website and app that curates coupons and deals from online retailers. And she says retailers are relying on your fear of missing out.

[Lindsay Weeks]

And so it's trying to get us to say if you don't purchase this right now, you'll never get this deal again. And so you're like, oh my gosh, I've got to get that deal.

[Marielle Segarra]

So takeaway one Anytime you're shopping or browsing or you didn't even think you were shopping, but now you're considering a purchase, ask yourself, am I feeling a sense of urgency right now? And is there actually any urgency? What would happen if I waited?

[Brian Vines]

Don't fall for that false sense that you're gonna miss out because they make things 24 hours a day, and you will not miss the boat.

[Marielle Segarra]

Lindsay says, maybe take a day. Say I'm gonna sl sleep on this.

[Lindsay Weeks]

Or anything over $50 or $100. I'm going to take 24 hours before I make my decision. That will also tell you if it's that fear of missing out on a deal or the deal that's really causing you to want to purchase.

[Marielle Segarra]

Linda Myers in California, who emailed us in response to a call out on this topic, takes this idea even further. She sent us this voice memo.

[Listener Contributor]

If there's something I want and it costs more than $20, I don't buy it immediately. I'll wait a few hours, and then I check to be sure if I can return it. If I have to pay to return it, I think carefully about whether it's worth it to me to take that chance. And then I consider the shipping charges, if there are any. And then if I'm still interested after all that, I'll probably buy it.

[Marielle Segarra]

Linda a shopping queen. Okay, so while you pause, you want to ask yourself some questions. Do I need this thing? Do I actually want this thing? If it's a gift, do I actually think the recipient will want this thing? If the answer to those questions is no, then this is not a deal. Do not buy it. If you're shopping online, one thing you could try is putting the item in your cart and then waiting.

[Brian Vines]

And sometimes you'll often get from assorted retailers, oh, we see you've been eyeing this, or it's in your cart. That thing is now 15% off.

[Marielle Segarra]

And at that point, if you do want the item, you can decide if the price is a deal for you. Speaking of price, another strategy retailers love is called price anchoring. I like to call it, hey, don't look at that. Look over here. Price anchoring is when a retailer uses a comparison price, the anchor, to make you think the product is higher value and make you want it more.

[Lindsay Weeks]

So, for example, you have a pair of sneakers. It says, originally $200 marked down to 100, on sale now for 20. That $200 is what we call a price anchor. And it basically makes people fixate on that price versus fixating on the sale price.

[Marielle Segarra]

But Lindsay says a lot of the time that original price was never the original price or it hasn't been the price for a long time.

[Lindsay Weeks]

It's just something that stores will use to say, oh, look at what a big discount you're getting.

[Marielle Segarra]

Another pricing strategy that retailers use is to raise the base price of an item just before the busy season, but then tell you, oh, it's 40% off now. Sure, 40% off of a higher price and it turns out to cost the same as it did last week, or maybe even More so. Takeaway 2 Focus on the actual price of an item. These sneakers cost 20 bucks. That's all you have to grapple with and now it's time to figure out for yourself whether you consider that price ideal. It helps to do some comparisons of your own. There are websites, apps and browser extensions that'll help you compare the price of a particular product across stores and across time. Sometimes they also offer coupon codes. I've had varying success with these. A lot of the time they don't work. Keep in mind to use these sites you might have to sign up for a free ad supported account and to give these companies permission to use your shopping and browsing data and to send you emails. A simpler way to do price comparisons is a quick Internet search. See if a product is cheaper at another retailer or at a secondhand site. This is a great option for clothing. You can even find the same pair of jeans new with tags on for a fraction of the price when you buy secondhand. Also, if you're shopping in a store, see if you can find a better price on your phone at another store across town. Then Brian says, talk to a sales associate. Ask them to match that competitor's price you have.

[Brian Vines]

Not because you asked. Not so. Always go with a smile. Pack your patience and a good disposition. Because people who are working in these stores also understand that we're all in the position right now where any savings means something.

[Marielle Segarra]

Here are some other questions to ask yourself when you're considering a purchase. Am I only buying this because it seems like a really good sale? Another way of getting at this is have I ever thought about buying this thing before? Did I know this thing existed before I walked into the store and would I consider buying it if it was full price? Alright, we'll be back with more Life Kit. Promise me you won't do any online shopping during the break.

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[Marielle Segarra]

Might sound a little obvious, but it is truly the basis of all marketing. Marketers sell you a fantasy. The idea of that picture perfect holiday dinner where everybody's connecting and nobody's fighting. Or the vision of you as your sexiest, most confident, most put together self, the one who gets their shopping done early for the holidays.

[Brian Vines]

These all play to your aspirational I've got stuff together side our sense of accomplishment and just how good we are at loving the people around us based on the amount of things that we're able to gather and put in our carts.

[Marielle Segarra]

So Takeaway three Here's how you can know marketing is working on you if you find yourself pulling out your cash or typing in your credit card info and longing for something, or fantasizing about some idealized version of yourself or your family, or feeling emotions like guilt, lust, nostalgia, sadness, loneliness. When this happens again, you want to pause and remember that you do not have to spend money on this particular thing. That doesn't mean you don't get your family any gifts for the holidays, but it doesn't have to be this item and you can get creative. Find a treasure that they'll love at a secondhand store, bake them their favorite cookies, plan a group dinner or family hike. Okay, so we've gone through some of the strategies retailers use to get you to throw down your money. I'd like to devote the rest of our time to arming you with your own strategies. Takeaway 4 When it's time to buy, be strategic. Try some of these shopping tips to find deals. One shopping strategy is to plan ahead. If you know that the next year you're going to need new boots or a new winter coat, Lindsay says. Look for them at the end of the season.

[Lindsay Weeks]

A lot of times the sales are tied to retail inventory cycles. So these are when stores need to clear out their space and not necessarily when they just want people to click. So that's a lot of times you can get really big sales, she says.

[Marielle Segarra]

If you want to time this out, consider the weather and what you're doing in your own closet.

[Lindsay Weeks]

If you're about ready to pack it away in your own house, it's probably when you want to start looking for it. On sale in a store if you're.

[Marielle Segarra]

Shopping for electronics like a phone or a pair of headphones, wait until the new version comes out.

[Lindsay Weeks]

You can always get big discounts on last year's version or two versions ago.

[Marielle Segarra]

Our next tip is to consider derivative models around Black Friday, Brian says manufacturers will often create products exclusively for this season.

[Brian Vines]

The derivative models might have fewer features than the ones that you would buy at a regular price throughout the rest of the year. So in November they can give you that Super Door Buster deal on this name brand television from a reputable, highly rated manufacturer. But it might not have as many HDMI inputs. The remote control might be a little more simplified, or the resolution on certain things, or the number of apps that are already embedded inside could be lower because at this price, this is the best that we can do.

[Marielle Segarra]

This cheaper version of the TV might actually be a good fit for you, depending on what features you want. The key is to know what you're getting.

[Brian Vines]

For some of us, that simplified remote is a blessing. Like I don't know what I'm looking at with all these damn buttons or the fact that I don't need 20 hdmis if I want to plug my Roku, my Fire stick, my Apple TV into the side. I don't need to have a bunch of different inputs.

[Marielle Segarra]

A few other tips from Lindsay unfortunately, items that are sold in the girls or women's section of a store will often be marked up compared to similar or the same items sold in the boys or men's departments.

[Lindsay Weeks]

That's actually called the pink tax and they do mark up. You know, think of razors. A pink razor might be a little bit more expensive when it's the exact same thing, but it's pink, not blue or green.

[Marielle Segarra]

I noticed this once at a sporting goods store with an anti chafe stick that you can rub on your ankles or other body parts. The blue one was a couple bucks cheaper so I got the blue one. It's my favorite color anyway. Another tip Lindsay shared applies to shoe shopping. If your feet are on the smaller.

[Lindsay Weeks]

Side, you can buy the child versions or child sizes in a lot of shoes. And you can save sometimes like between 40 and $80 by just buying the child version versus the adult version. So that's another good way to save if you know if it is something that isn't typically going to go on sale.

[Marielle Segarra]

And then before you make a purchase, find out what is this retailer's policy on price matching and price adjustments? Price matching is when a retailer will match a competitor's price for the same product. Brian talked about this earlier. Price adjustments are when a retailer matches its own price over time. Say you bought a pair of headphones for 160 bucks and the price dips to 120 the next week. Some retailers will say, yeah, come back to us within 30 days and we'll refund you the difference. So shop around. If you can find the same item at different places, you can. And one has a better price adjustment policy, that's a good reason to buy it there. All right, we thought it would be nice to end this episode with a little poem. Genevieve Franklin in California sent us this voice memo that describes her shopping ethos.

[Listener Contributor]

Stop the shop. Shop your closet, every drawer. Shop your pantry and yet more. Shop your bookshelves and garage. Hello best self. Bye, garbage.

[Marielle Segarra]

Okay, time for a recap. Takeaway 1. Anytime you're shopping or browsing, ask yourself, am I feeling a sense of urgency right now? And is there actually any urgency? Takeaway 2 Focus on the actual price of an item and figure out for yourself whether you consider that price a deal. Takeaway 3 if you find yourself pulling out your cash or typing in your credit card info and longing for something, fantasizing about some idea, idealized version of yourself or your family, or feeling heavy emotions. Pause. Takeaway 4. When it's time to buy, be strategic. Look for deals at the end of a season or when the newest version of something comes out. Consider derivative models that are made for the holiday season but also know what you're getting. Look in the boys or men's department to see if an item is cheaper. See if you fit into the kid's size of the same shoe, it'll often be less expensive. And buy things from retailers with strong price adjustment policies. And that's our show. By the way, has a Life Kit episode ever sparked a new habit for you or changed your life? If so, why not tell a friend about our show? Share an episode you think they might like? It would mean the world to us. This episode of Life Kit was produced by Claire Marie Schneider. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Garib. Megan Keane is our senior supervising editor and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tagle, Margaret Serino and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Simon Laszlo Jansen. Fact Checking by Candice Kortkamp I'm Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening.

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