Tuesday 5 January 2016

Lucky bags and consumer behaviour

In Japan, a highly popular tradition at New Year's is rushing to buy lucky bags, which contain desirable merchandise sold at a super-bargain price. Shoppers wait for hours to be able to buy these deeply-discounted items, sight unseen, in a 'lucky red' sack.

Another element driving consumer behaviour: Quantities are limited, which makes the tradition even more appealing to shoppers who enjoy the hunt as much as they enjoy the big savings.

Department stores all offer lucky bags, as do specialty stores, food retailers (including supermarkets) and even fast-food outlets like McDonald's and Mister Donut. Apple stores also offer lucky bags.

Check out these Getty Images of crowds rushing to buy lucky bags.