Even in a depressed economy, people can still be persuaded to part with money even if they don’t want to and can’t afford to. Sales people will flatter, scam and con in a bid to part a customer from their money,

Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade on Channel 4 is an eight-part series, hosted by Harry Wallop who puts hidden cameras in seven different shops to show how it’s done. The cameras are placed in shops and market stalls around Britain where we see customers part with their cash through a series of selling techniques using flattery, trickery and even sensory perception to part our money from us.

Catch up with the series of Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade via youriplayer.co.uk find out how to avoid falling for these tricks.

Some of the more interesting revelations include a Toyshop that pumps out the smell of bubble gum into their stores to give parents the idea that they are child friendly. Other ludicrous shop secret features a beauty salon in Essex that offers face slapping to its clients in order to reduce their wrinkles. With a straight face, the beauticians ask the customers to "Tell them when it hurts." Almost unbelievably, some clients book a return session. Shop Secrets!

The majority of tricks you have probably already heard of like swapping expensive products for economy products and having the smell of the bakery pumped to the shop doorways. Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade on Channel 4 illustrates the lengths sellers will go to make us part with our hard earned cash.

Shopping is both a hobby and a feeling for many people and so these techniques are still considered fair game in both the markets and high streets of Britain. The only aim for many businesses is to get the cash from the punters and it is surprising at some of the lengths that they will go to. 

Watch all episodes of Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade here. Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade is a tv-programme of BBC One. You can see all episodes of Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade here via Youriplayer.co.uk.