In this episode of Browse Basket Buy, Dan spoke with behavioral science expert Richard Shotton about the psychological principles that drive purchasing decisions.

Richard, author of “The Choice Factory” and “The Illusion of Choice,” shared key insights that can help retailers.

When customers face too many options, simplify decision-making by highlighting “most popular” items.

Frame offers to emphasize what customers miss by not purchasing, rather than what they gain.

Introduce a premium option to make your mid-tier offering seem more reasonable.

Break down costs to their smallest units (e.g., “just £1 per day” rather than “£365 per year”).

Help customers create triggers for repeat purchases by linking your product to specific moments or contexts.

Richard’s insights aren’t just theoretical—they’re backed by rigorous studies and have measurable impacts on customer behavior. For example, one study showed that people rated cookies from a jar containing only two cookies higher than identical cookies from a jar containing ten.

The most useful aspect of the conversation was Richard’s emphasis on testing. Rather than blindly implementing tactics, he recommends starting with principles that are both easy to implement and backed by robust research, then testing to see what works in your specific context.

As Richard notes: “It’s not just the presence of a high-priced item that matters, it’s the order in which you see it.” Even small changes—like ordering your pricing from highest to lowest instead of lowest to highest—can drive significant improvements.

For retailers looking to optimize their conversion strategy without major overhauls, these evidence-based psychological principles offer low-risk, high-reward opportunities to influence buying behavior.

Follow Richard on LinkedIn.

Go and buy Richard’s books.

Check out the Consumer Behavior Lab and listen to The Behavioral Science for Brands Podcast.

Hire Richard’s agency, Astroten.