Customer Psychology - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Barrons IELTS Practice Exams Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–35 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.
Questions 36–40 Table Completion
Complete the chart about the effects of color.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
| Color | Effect |
|---|---|
| Purple | encourages people to 36 |
| Orange | makes restaurant customers 37 |
| Blue | conveys a sense of 38 |
| Bright colors | appeal to 39 |
| Soft colors | appeal to 40 |
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | A | For example, a common practice among retailers is to place the store's best-selling merchandise near the back of the store | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that a usual method used by store owners is to put the products that sell the most near the rear area of the shop. Answer Explanation: The answer means that store owners put products that many people want to buy near the rear part of the store. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text explains that shop owners usually place their best-selling items near the back of the store. This makes customers walk past other products on their way, encouraging them to see and buy extra items. Here, 'best-selling merchandise' refers to 'popular items'. |
| Q32 | C | Retailers choose carpets not only for their decorative or comfort value, but also because lines or other types of patterns in the carpets can subtly guide shoppers in certain directions | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that store owners select carpets not just for looks or comfort, but because the lines and patterns can gently guide customers to walk in particular directions. Answer Explanation: The answer means that carpet patterns are used to make shoppers move in specific directions through the store. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the text states that store owners use lines and patterns on carpets to guide shoppers in specific directions. While carpets may also offer comfort or look nice, the specific purpose of the carpet patterns is to direct where customers walk. |
| Q33 | A | Besides encouraging shoppers to go to certain areas of the store, retailers also want to keep them in the store longer. One way to do this is to provide comfortable seating throughout the store, but not too close to the doors | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that store owners want to make customers stay inside for more time, and one method to achieve this is putting comfortable chairs around the store. Answer Explanation: The answer means that store owners can make shoppers stay in the shop for a longer time by giving them chairs or seats to sit on. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text explicitly states that shop owners can make shoppers stay longer by placing comfortable seats across the store. Keywords like 'keep them in the store longer' match the question, and 'provide comfortable seating' matches 'providing places to sit'. |
| Q34 | B | Music is commonly used, not as entertainment, but as a calming influence. It can slow the customers' pace through the store, making them spend more time shopping and, consequentially, making more purchases | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that music is used to calm customers down and reduce their walking speed so they spend more time and money in the store. Answer Explanation: The answer means that shops play music to make shoppers walk and move more slowly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text states that music can slow down how fast customers walk through the store. This makes them stay longer and buy more items. The text also clearly says music is not used to entertain shoppers, which makes choice A wrong, and it slows them down rather than making them shop faster, which makes choice C wrong. |
| Q35 | C | For example, the scent of vanilla has been used to increase sales in clothing stores | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that stores selling clothes have used the smell of vanilla to help sell more items. Answer Explanation: The answer choice C means that vanilla smells have been used in stores that sell clothes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the text clearly states that the smell (scent) of vanilla was used to boost sales in clothing stores. Keywords like 'scent of vanilla' and 'clothing stores' in the text directly give us this answer. |
| Q36 | spend money | Light purple, for example, has been found to have an interesting effect on customer behavior. People shopping in an environment where light purple is the predominating color seem to spend money more than shoppers in other environments | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when the color light purple is used in a store, it causes shoppers to buy and pay for more things than in stores with other colors. Answer Explanation: The answer means buying items or paying cash for goods. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "spend money" because the transcript explains that light purple makes customers buy more items compared to other settings. In the text, shoppers in a store dominated by light purple seem to spend more money than people in different environments. |
| Q37 | leave faster | Orange is a color that's often used in fast-food restaurants. It encourages customers to leave faster, making room for the next group of diners | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the color orange makes people in fast-food places finish and go away more quickly. Answer Explanation: The answer means to depart or go away more quickly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "leave faster" because the text explicitly states that the color orange is used in fast-food restaurants to encourage customers to depart more quickly so new customers can sit down. |
| Q38 | security | Blue, on the other hand, is a calming color. It gives customers a sense of security, so it's a good color for any business to use | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that blue is a peaceful color that helps customers feel safe. Answer Explanation: The answer means a feeling of safety and trust. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'security' because the passage specifically describes how different colors affect shoppers. It mentions that the color blue is relaxing and gives shoppers a sense of security, making it a good choice for businesses. |
| Q39 | younger people | Stores that cater to a younger clientele should use bold, bright colors, which tend to be attractive to younger people | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that shops selling to young customers should use bright colors because young people like these colors. Answer Explanation: The answer means people who are young. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'younger people' because the text states that bright colors are attractive to this specific group of customers, meaning these colors appeal to them. |
| Q40 | older people | Stores that are interested in attracting an older clientele will have more success with soft, subtle colors, as older people find these colors more appealing | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that shops trying to attract older customers get better results using soft colors because older people like these colors more. Answer Explanation: The answer means elderly or senior individuals. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'older people' because the text clearly states that soft, subtle colors are more attractive and appealing to older individuals. |
Transcript
An understanding of customer psychology is an invaluable aid for retailers looking for ways to increase sales. Much can be done to the store environment to encourage shoppers to linger longer and spend more money. The first aspect to consider is the physical organization of the store. Placement of merchandise has a great deal of influence on what customers buy. For example, a common practice among retailers is to place the store's best-selling merchandise near the back of the store. In order to get to these popular items from the front entrance, customers have to walk down aisles filled with merchandise that they might not see otherwise. Carpets are also used to direct customers through particular areas of the store. Retailers choose carpets not only for their decorative or comfort value, but also because lines or other types of patterns in the carpets can subtly guide shoppers in certain directions. Besides encouraging shoppers to go to certain areas of the store, retailers also want to keep them in the store longer. One way to do this is to provide comfortable seating throughout the store, but not too close to the doors. This gives customers a chance to rest and then continue shopping.
Retailers can do a number of things to create a pleasant atmosphere in the store, thereby encouraging more purchases. Music is commonly used, not as entertainment, but as a calming influence. It can slow the customers' pace through the store, making them spend more time shopping and, consequentially, making more purchases. Scent's are also used in various ways. Everyone has had the experience of being drawn into a bakery by the smell of fresh bread. Experiments have been done with other types of scents, as well. For example, the scent of vanilla has been used to increase sales in clothing stores.
Use of color is another important aspect of store environment. Certain colors can affect behavior as well as mood. Light purple, for example, has been found to have an interesting effect on customer behavior. People shopping in an environment where light purple is the predominating color seem to spend money more than shoppers in other environments. Orange is a color that's often used in fast-food restaurants. It encourages customers to leave faster, making room for the next group of diners. Blue, on the other hand, is a calming color. It gives customers a sense of security, so it's a good color for any business to use. In addition to using color to create mood and affect customer behavior, color can also be used to attract certain kinds of customers to a business. Stores that cater to a younger clientele should use bold, bright colors, which tend to be attractive to younger people. Stores that are interested in attracting an older clientele will have more success with soft, subtle colors, as older people find these colors more appealing.