The Role of Incentives

tv imageHave you seen the furniture commercials on TV that offer a free flat screen TV if you buy your furniture this weekend?  How about the car dealers that offer manicures and movies while you wait for your car to be fixed?  Have you ever purchased an item that had a mail-in-rebate for your purchase?  These “perks” for buying are called incentives.  But, are they really worth it?  Merchants use many different methods to make us want to buy their products.  In this module you will learn about these methods so that you can make more responsible spending decisions.

Essential Question:

  • What do businesses use to influence and encourage consumers to spend money?