Have You Got a Savvy Shopper Smile? Body Language Expert Judi James Investigates

If it takes more than a session of retail therapy to put a smile on your face, you may want to check out AIB’s new Everyday Rewards. Picture the scene: you’re at the till with your latest purchase, tapping your AIB debit card nonchalantly, and a smile creeps across your face. The happy smirk of a satisfied shopper? Or the smug smile unique to an AIB customer who has just received real, actual, genuine cashback for shopping? If it isn’t the latter, you’re doing retail therapy wrong.

AIB’s Everyday Rewards is a people-pleasing program that pays you bucks when you buy books, refuels your balance when you fill the car, and tops up your account when you nab some new bottoms.

In anticipation of much till-centric grinning, we asked body language expert Judi James to reveal the smiles behind Ireland’s sharpest shoppers. So, next time you’re at the checkout, keep an eye out for these smart smilers.

Here’s Judi’s guide to spotting the ultimate savvy shoppers.

The Smug Shopper Smile

Imagine the face of a happy toad and you have the Smug Shopper Smile. These smilers are enormously competitive and have no inhibitions about celebrating their ‘win’. They love to be the centre of attention and the ‘You’ll never guess what I just got’ look will help them to do just that.

Celebrity examples: Donald Trump, Jeremy Paxman.

The Secret Shopper Smile

For some shoppers being savvy works best as a type of secret ‘club’ or ‘Team Savvy’.

The Secret Shopper Smile is outwardly quite bland, just a polite raising of the lips with possibly a slight reveal of teeth. However, once they catch the eye of the shop assistant or fellow savvy shopper they send out small facial tie signs, which are a form of subtle silent communication.

Celebrity examples: Prince Harry, Anne Robinson (the wink).

The Goal-Scorer Smile

Some people just can’t hide their smug, and although they might try to adopt a superior face that spontaneous, overexcited kid inside just keeps breaking out. With the mouth wide open, showing both upper and lower teeth, the brows are up, their eyes are wide, and they look so openly happy.

Celebrity examples: Holly Willoughby, Niall Horan.

The Scary Gnasher Smile

For some people savvy means status and power, and their Scary Gnasher Smile reflects a combative ‘I’ve got it, I’m keeping it’ attitude when they shop. The Scary Gnasher is smiling but in an over-congruent way, their eyes are very focused on your face, missing nothing, and as their mouth forms a grin their teeth are bared in a way that can make them look like a shark hunting for its supper.

Celebrity examples: Jack Nicholson, Conor McGregor, Michael Fassbender.

The Poker Face Smile

They’re smiling, of course, but nobody told their face. That’s because these savvy shoppers are the best at facial masking. No open grinning for them. They will suppress all their delight behind an inscrutable, sphinx-like facial expression with only the faintest hint of a smile visible in their eyes.

Celebrity examples: Kanye West, Bono.

The Romantic Smile

Some shoppers take a romantic approach to their purchases, admiring them in shop windows, talking about them, and finally owning them. Their head will be on one side and their expression excited but a bit dreamy. Their eye contact will be to one side too (rather than looking people in the eye) and their smile will be asymmetric.

Celebrity examples: Anne Hathaway, George Clooney.

Get Your Grin with AIB Everyday Rewards

Get your grin on by visiting AIB Everyday Rewards, registering your AIB debit or credit card, and redeeming the Everyday Reward offers that are tailored to you. Once you’ve redeemed your offer, your cashback will be automatically added to your account the next time you shop in that store. Yep, we thought that would put a smile on your face.

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