THE GRUEN EFFECT

Summary from the TLDR Founders newsletter

Ever go to Target for toothpaste and leave with $200 worth of stuff? That's the Gruen Effect - when stores deliberately disorient you to trigger impulse buys. IKEA's maze-like layout keeps you browsing longer. Amazon's "related products" send you down rabbit holes. Notion's surprise feature pop-ups keep you exploring. Over 50% of purchases are unplanned because when you're disoriented, your brain stops asking "do I need this?" and starts thinking "ooh, that's nice."