We all know grocery stores are in the business of making money, and sometimes, we even KNOW that we are being duped into spending more money–or subconsciously buying things that weren’t on our list, but have you ever wondered HOW they do it? I hadn’t really given it a ton of thought until I ran across an article on treehugger that kind of detailed a couple of the supermarkets’ marketing strategies. I thought they were interesting enough that I would pass the info along.
The first one is the most obvious. They use our love of habit and our desire to be fairly efficient and mindless when we shop by placing certain foods on end caps–though, their prices are not necessarily any different than standard. They are convenient and right in your face, though, so you toss them in your over-sized cart {oh, yeah, over-sized carts is another way they trick you into buying more}.
They re-arrange the aisles frequently so that you have to go up and down the aisles looking for a product, and hopefully throw a few extras in your cart in the meantime. This drives me CRAZY. Yeah, Costco, I am talking to you. CRAZY.
Next, they use stereotypical combinations, like chips near the sandwich condiments {which leads us to throw the “classic side” in the cart while we are thinking sandwiches and burgers.
Finally, they play to the fact that you are probably tired, stressed, hungry, etc. They reaaaaallly want you to need a snack at the checkout counter, and purposely make you walk through the bakery to get to other staple items {the smell of fresh baked goods breaks you down}. While some grocery stores have also stocked healthier options at the weak points {checkout}, they will likely continue to provide sugary and salty foods too, because they are big time money makers.
Those were the big ones that the article mentioned, and honestly, after reading it, I have to admit, at one point or another, I have totally fallen for all of them. They. Got. Me!
How about you, do any of these get you from time to time?
~Mavis
Susan says
I am really good about not deviating from my list UNLESS I run across markdowns or some unadvertised special….OR I have a Grandchild with me- then it’s anything goes 🙂 I always ask if there’s anything they want. I don’t care how much it costs.
Miriam says
A lot of supermarkets will also put items you want in the same trip (such as milk and bread) on the opposite ends of the store to force you to walk by other items in hopes that you will see something and put it in your cart. The Maceys near me is notorious to me because of this 🙁
Pam says
I spent 20 years working for a grocery chain in the southeast. Most grocery stores follow the same basic layout – fresh departments ring the perimeter and hard/dry goods in the center. Frozen foods are either the first couple aisles, the last couple aisles or right in the center of the store. Grocery stores are a penny profit industry. Most of their products offer little if any profit to the store. The perimeter departments are where they their money. It’s not a coincidence that the bakery has fresh Italian bread in the oven between 4 pm and 6 pm. It’s to entice the shopper looking for dinner to buy a loaf warm from the oven and take it home for dinner. Same thing with the deli frying chicken. It’s timed so that the shopper who is tired after working all day can come in and be drawn to the fresh bread and fresh chicken. Because that’s where the stores make their money. The can of green beans, the gallon of water, the jar of mayo may actually be selling for cost or below. Outrageous deals on soft drinks, frozen pizza, cookies and beer are often sold to the customer at a loss to the store because they’re gambling that the shopper who comes in for the 99 cent 2 liter soft drink will grab a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk while they’re there. In the grocery sections (dry goods), endcaps are generally filled with excess sale product so the shoppers can find it easily. But every endcap will also stock “related” products that are not on sale. So you grab 2 boxes of the spaghetti that’s on sale and grab the jar of sauce (that is not) since it’s easier than walking around looking for it on the aisles. I always tell folks the same things……..always shop with a list and stick to it. Never shop when you’re hungry – you WILL buy things that you really don’t need because EVERYTHING looks good when you’re hungry. Don’t be in a hurry unless you really don’t care how much you spend. I have a friend who can spend HOURS picking out a pair of shoes or a dress but thinks spending 20 minutes picking up groceries is 18 minutes too long. Sometimes you have to invest in what you’re doing – read the sale circular, ask for a product that you can’t find, and watch the register when you check out. Scanners are great but everyone makes mistakes.
Diana says
Along with bigger grocery carts, the small carry baskets are getting harder to find at the store entrance.
However, our Dillons (Kroger) stores are starting to stock a selection of small-sized carts, perfectly adequate for a single household or couple. Not only do they not encourage extra items, but they make the aisles less congested. I love them, but they are popular and thus are often all in use when I go to the store.
KAte says
Our local Raleys has small carts and I love them! They are so much easier to maneuver around.
Jenna says
My downfall is markdowns!! (Oh yeah, and the bakery…) :-/
Our Hy-vee has a discounted items section in the refrigerated area and I CANNOT go to the store without checking it out. Essentially that discounted area dictates what we’ll eat for a day or two each week.
Deborah says
I just had an epiphany! I am not as crazy as I thought! All these years it never occurred to me that my grocery stores might be rearranging things. I thought I was just really really bad at remembering where things were. Lol
Thank you Mavis for restoring a bit of my sanity. 😉