It is worth remembering that costly signalling may also play a role in this: certain things need to be expensive for symbolic reasons. A £200 dress reduced to £75 is fine, but women may not feel happy wearing a £75 dress to a wedding. TK Maxx,fn3 a psychologically ingenious retailer, is a brilliant place to buy a present for your wife, provided that under no circumstances you reveal to her that you bought it from TK Maxx.
