• USA Today, Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:45 AM

All of a sudden, two-for-one offers are showing up in a variety of venues -- from restaurants to retailers to telecommunications companies -- in an attempt to entice consumers who are tightening their fists around the purse strings. It's a way to avoid conditioning consumers for discounts and to assuage the guilt that they feel about shopping in such difficult times.

"People are more willing to make a purchase if they feel they're being responsible," says Thomas Hine, author of I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers.

Some examples Horovitz cites are T.G.I. Friday's offer of two entrees for the price of one for customers who bring in coupons downloaded from www.fridays.com; Men's Wearhouse's two-for-one special on hundreds of men's suits at $399 and up; and an offer at 15 Russ Darrow Group car dealerships in Wisconsin whereby customers who buy a pricey new vehicle can get a "free" used car worth up to $10,000.

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