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From Walmart to McDonald's, these big corporations have some secrets hidden in plain sight that help you save more—and spend more.
In 1980, the manager of the Walmart store in Crowley, Louisiana, had problems with shoplifters.
So to fix this issue, he hired a woman to stand by the front door to greet customers and ask them if they needed any help.
The greeter’s presence intimidated any potential shoplifters.
After visiting the Crowley store, company founder Sam Walton quickly created greeters as a trademark of all Walmart stores.
The benefit to customers is if there is less shoplifting it means lower prices, which help you “Save money. Live better.”
It’s actually not to mislead buyers into thinking there are more chips inside.
In fact, the bags’ “air” doesn’t have oxygen in it.
They’re filled with nitrogen. Oxygen would quickly turn the chips rotten.
The nitrogen maintains the freshness of the chips, prevents combustion, and creates cushioning during shipping so the chips don’t get crushed.
Do you still feel ripped off? Here’s a consolation: NASA reports that bags of potato chips taken aboard super-modified jets respond to the sudden change in air pressure soon after takeoff by exploding.
Walt Disney used an optical illusion called forced perspective to enhance the magic of Magic Kingdom.
For example, when you enter the park, the street narrows into the distance, creating the impression that the shops stretch forever toward the enormous castle.
When you walk back down Main Street, USA to leave, the inverted perspective of the widening street makes the Walt Disney World train station appear closer, tricking your brain into thinking the walk is short.
Also, the buildings lining Main Street USA look many stories tall because the windows, awnings, signs, and fixtures higher up are significantly smaller than those on the ground level. The same goes for the castle.
It stands 189 feet high and yet appears almost Empire State–esque. That’s because the windows, turrets, and fake bricks decrease in size as they near the roofline.
Disney also designed the top spire nearly half the size it should be to seem twice as tall.
McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, Arby’s—almost all popular fast-food chains use red in their logos.
You’ve probably heard that red sparks appetite, but that’s actually not the case.
Actually, we tend to associate red with danger, so our minds are hardwired to pay more attention to it.
Mcdonald's fans have a special spot in their hearts for its Coke, and the taste difference might not be in their heads.
McDonald’s has a leg up on other companies that use soda dispensers.
First, it gets its soda syrup delivered in stainless steel tanks instead of plastic bags, then it chills the water in a separate fridge instead of in the soda fountain itself.
Predicting that you’ll want ice to keep your drink chilled, the fast-food chain also reportedly uses a custom syrup-to-water ratio so it still tastes good after it’s watered down.
That’s not the only secret the chain is hiding—this is the ingredient that makes McDonald’s fries so addictive.
By posting your photos on Facebook, you’ve granted the company the license to use it.
Theoretically, they can use them any way they want, whether it’s for corporate promotional material or advertisements unless you know to opt out.
They also allow businesses that you’ve “liked” to use your profile photo on ads shown on your friends’ pages.
Most people fail to read the user agreement, which clearly says that “you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, and worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate, and create derivative works of your content (consistent with your privacy and application settings).”
If you skipped that snore-fest we don’t blame you.
Translation: Unless you and anyone who’s shared your photos deletes them.
Occasionally, third-party advertisers have used photos without the user’s or Facebook’s consent.
A few years ago, a man logged on to his account and stumbled upon an ad for an online dating service.
Who was the star of the ad? His wife! Awkward!
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