The anchor price, or reference price, is the price range that the customer considers reasonable for an offer. A known price is used by the consumer as an "anchor" to better classify another price. In connection with this, one also speaks of a price anchor effect. This is based on the fact that human judgments are arrived at through comparisons. Prices are therefore rarely perceived in absolute terms, but in connection with known reference prices.
Based on this, this effect can also be used strategically in online retailing. Here, higher-priced products are placed as high as possible on the store page. Visitors to the store perceive the prominently placed products and adjust their expectations accordingly as far as the price range of the products is concerned. Similarly, particularly low prices can also serve as an anchor for the visitor. If one wants to promote the sales of a certain product, one can place this between a particularly favourable and a more expensive product of the same kind. In most cases, the visitor is most likely to opt for the golden mean. Consumers often feel that products that hold this position also offer the best value for money. Often this is automatically assumed without any real examination on the part of the visitor.
