You wouldn't go into the desert without sunblock and water. You wouldn't go into battle without weapons or armor. But many of us do just that when we go into a grocery store unprepared and ill-advised.
Grocers spend tens of thousands of dollars every year researching how they can separate you from your money faster and more efficiently. They know in which direction you are likely to turn, in what temperature you will spend the most, and what smells and music make you buy.
In this two-part series, I will let you in on the grocer's secrets and what you can do to combat them.
Layout- Did you ever wonder why the things you need the most often, bread, milk, eggs,
are at the farthest corners of the grocery store? The stores know that if you are forced to walk to the back of the store, you are more likely to pick up several other items.
Solution? If you only need one or two things, don't pick up a basket or take a cart. Once your hands are full, head for the checkout aisle!
Location- Retailers pay exorbitant amounts to have their products placed at eye level. Grocers know that most people buy from the middle of the shelves, and they actually charge the manufacturers for this space. And have you noticed how expensive children's items such as kid's toothpaste, yogurt, shampoos, snacks and candy are all on the bottom shelves? No coincidence there. Stores know it is very difficult to say no to a screaming, whining or extra-polite (my personal downfall) two-year old.
Solution? Be sure to scan the aisles from top to bottom to be sure you are getting the best deal. Many store brand products come from the exact same factories as the more expensive name brands! And leave the kids at home when you are shopping. If you have to bring them, use this time to teach them about managing money. I have a "If you ask for anything, you get nothing" rule that also works well.
Hot Spots- Research shows that the front of the store, ends of aisles, and checkout areas are hot spots for impulse buys. Grocers will stock these areas with high-profit and seasonal items. Often times, especially on endcaps, a display may look like a sale item, when it is really a regular priced item. And the travel-sized tissues for only $1 at the checkout counter is far more expensive than a large box of tissues for .75cents in the paper aisle.
Solution? Avoid the hot spots. The same items will also be in their regular locations where you can more easily compare unit prices to similar products.
Re-arrangements- How often have you walked into your regular grocery store only to find that aisle 1 is no longer canned goods, but now baby products? The stores know that regular shoppers begin to develop immunity to the aisles and products they regularly avoid. By changing the arrangement of the aisles, they force you to spend more time looking around, thus increasing the likelihood of impulsive buys.
Solution? Always shop with a list and stick to it. If you are committed to only buying what you truly need, it doesn't matter how long you have to look for an item.
Senses- You walk into the store and the smell of warm bread or fresh pizza makes you head straight toward the bakery. And that was the exact intention. Grocers know the hungrier you are, the more you will buy. Not only do they keep the good smells coming (using "canned" smells when necessary), but they keep the temperature cool or even cold. Have you ever been in a warm grocery store? Not I. People eat more when they are cold, and stores are well aware of this. Ever catch yourself humming to that slow song on the store's speaker? Those mellow tunes are designed to entice you into slowing down. The longer you are in the store, the more you will buy. Even the scattered rugs and carpets in a store have a purpose. The rugs slow down your cart causing you to linger in front of specifically targeted displays.
Solution? Never go shopping when you are hungry. Be aware of the tactics the store use and always stick to your grocery list.
Next time, I will discuss five additional ways that grocery stores manipulate shoppers into spending more money and what you can do to avoid their traps.
Interested in discussing? Come over to Blissfully Domestic Living and let's discuss!
(upper left photo source) (lower right photo source)
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Ohh goodness, you Americans got everything in XL size.. just look at that grocery store! Our local supermarket would fit into two of those isles! – and we're not in a tiny village, mind you..
I can only dream of isles that wide. No more 'traffic jam' when someone decides to stop pushing their cart! wow!
When I was in the caribbean (where they totally have them big american stores) my jaw would drop…. how can you 'get something' out of there fast? If you walk around the store, you just finished a marathon. (So how come the entire nation is so fat? That's GREAT excersize!)
*lol* Greetings from the netherlands..
great tips! i always do so much better when i have a list.
AWESOME article! Our local grocery store offers online shopping. I just go online, choose what I want, drive to the store the next day and they load it in the car for me. Saves lots of money in impulse buying.
Also a note about store brands. I know someone in the pharmaceutical industry and she told me that ANY label that says "compare to (name brand)" has to, by law, have the exact same active ingredients. So check those labels and you'll save lots of money in the health & beauty aisles especially.
Ok, now I'm all jealous that Shannon gets to shop online. Awesome gig, Shannon. I hate the stores. (This article is great, though!)