The more time you spend in a grocery store, the more you buy. Similarly, the more time you spend in a specific aisle, the more you buy from that aisle. Grocery stores are full of intentional design tricks to get you to spend without even realizing you’re doing so. Here’s what to be more aware of:
- Product placement: items placed at eye level are more expensive than those higher or lower on the shelves. Endcaps are a display of products placed at the end of an aisle and are strategically placed to trip up those of us who try to shop the perimeter of the store in order to avoid processed foods.
- Smell: it’s no coincidence that the bakery (and all of the tantalizing scents that come with it) is usually located either close to the front door or right before the cash registers.
- Music: is usually happy and upbeat to get you in a positive mood.
- Free samples: the phrase “Nothing in life is free” probably originated in a grocery store. Ever notice how those free samples often come with a coupon?
- Shopping carts: why, exactly are they so big? Try to choose the smaller carts whenever available or divide up the big cart by putting something in the middle (such as a bag or a scarf). Claim the front half of the cart for items you want to buy more of such as fresh and frozen produce. Try to shop the perimeter of the store first and watch out for the sneaky endcap deals.
- Milk and bread: the top items most people need to run to the grocery store for are located at the BACK of the store.
- Sales prices: ‘markdowns’ always end in a 7 or a 9. This is because if a price comes in under another dollar, people believe they are actually saving more money.
- Hunger: we think we buy more food when we’re hungry, but we don’t. Starving shoppers don’t buy more food, but they buy worse food. When shoppers are hungry, they choose foods that are convenient enough to eat right away and stop cravings. Try to eat something before heading to the grocery store.
Source: The Complete Guide To Grocery Shopping On A Budget In 2022 • Savvy Budget Boss & Slim By Design by B. Wansink