Consumer traps

Over the holidays, from Black Friday to Boxing Day and everything in between, shopping is just one blur of lunacy. People camp out. People stampede. People pepper spray. There is, in other words, no rhyme or reason to the retail terror.

Yet now that the holidays are gone and New Year's resolutions have taken hold, Canadians like to think they are more reserved in their shopping habits; now, we are the ones in control of what we spend and why, and where we spend and when. Of course, only a fool would think they aren't being manipulated each time they step into a mall or supermarket, which have been preying on the malleable minds of shoppers since the dawn of retail. From playing with your senses to downright devious psychological ploys, MSN highlights a few strategies stores use to trick you into spending.

* Bing: Tips to reign in your spending this year