Does it seem like the world is conspiring against your wishes to save money? Sometimes, that is unfortunately quite true. Yes; for instance, the placement of products in a grocery store is very carefully designed to entice you up and down more aisles than you intended. They are purposely laid out so that the dairy section is basically the last part of the store that you get to, at least if you go the "natural" way that the store tries to send you around. If you are led to the right when first entering (perhaps by needing a shopping cart?), then you can be sure that the dairy section is way in the back left corner of the store. Like we said, that is a setup, to get hold of the folks who just came in for a half-gallon of milk. It makes them traipse through the whole place before seeing what they came for. All of us think it is harmless to walk up and down the aisles. We could actually see something we really need, but just did not think about when we planned the trip. There may well be that kind of epiphany - seeing something we really need - while circling the store. However, it is much more likely that some Cokes, cookies, ice cream, beer, etc. (things we really donotneed) are what catch our eye. And, of course, this little trick does not even count the "impulse items" that lie in wait for us at the checkout counter. Candy bars, batteries, cigarettes, magazines. We can easily spend 50 bucks on a trip to the grocery for a two-dollar carton of milk.

 Is that unfair business practice; or, just inspired marketing?

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