"[T]he less comfortable you are during the seasonal shopping spree, the more money you’ll spend."

"So stores crank up music, repeat the same songs, over and over again, pipe in smells, race shoppers around to far-flung points of purchase and clog their heads with confusing offers. All of which makes it more likely we’ll part more readily with more money."

Oh, really? I'd say it makes it much more likely that smart, sensitive people will shop on line. (Preferably, going in through the Althouse portal.) You can play any music you want, enjoy blissful silence, or — as I'm doing — listen to your loved one softly singing "Golden Slumbers."

Side note: I love the illustration by Sam Vanallemeersch (at the first link).