Glossary

Decoy effect

The decoy effect introduces a third option that is deliberately worse value, nudging guests toward the item you want them to choose.

How a decoy guides choice

Faced with two options, guests hesitate. Add a third that is clearly inferior to one of them, and the comparison resolves: the dominant option suddenly looks obviously right. The decoy exists to be rejected while making the target the easy pick.

It is most visible in portion and bundle pricing, where a middle size is engineered to make the large look like the smart buy.

Example

A wine list shows a 6 oz pour at $11 and a 9 oz at $13. The 6 oz is the decoy: the 9 oz looks like clear value, so guests trade up and the average check rises.

See also

Anchor pricingCharm pricingMenu psychology

Related

Menu psychology explainedHow to price menu items

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