Lateral thinking is an approach to problem solving that involves looking at problems in new ways to find creative solutions. Some examples of lateral thinking include turning a shop around to let customers help themselves, constantly improving products to stay ahead of competitors, and addressing a subway light bulb theft issue by changing how the light bulbs were secured rather than their location. Small changes can sometimes have a big impact, as seen when many shops started pricing items just below round numbers, which originated from tax requirements rather than to appear cheaper to customers.