Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Five Sneaky Supermarket Tricks?

I found this while looking for some other stuff, and I think it's intriguing. It's from SmartMoney.com, talking about how supermarkets entice shoppers to make impulse purchases.

Number 1 is called "Eye Candy" and it refers to stores loading the checkouts with magazines and candy and putting the candy aisle across from the breakfast cereal. This one doesn't real hold up as a problem. I like to read the magazines while I'm waiting to check and then put 'em back, so I condider this a public service. As for the candy across from the cereal, half the crap in the cereal aisle has as much sugar in it as candy, and in our stores there isn't a "candy aisle", and the candy section isn't across from the cereal.


Number 2 is "End Cap Deception", saying that people are duped into thinking that end cap displays are loaded with sale items. The end caps ARE valuable real estate, and frequently the DO have promo items on them. Frequently, not always. Caveat emptor.


Number 3, "Shelf Shuffles" accuses stores of moving favorite items around in order to make shoppers walk around to find the items and in the process see more items and buy more stuff. I don't believe this, period. If I can't find what I want, I either ask for help or leave. What kind of rubes are assumed to be walking around loose in our supermarkets?


Number 4, "Cozy Cafes", suggests that stores have put in coffee shops and play enjoyable music in order to make shoppers more comfortable and thereby spend more money. Egad! making the shopping experience more pleasant, how underhanded!


Number 5 is "Follow Your Nose" and points out that grocery stores have the enticing fragrance of delicious food in them and that this makes us want to buy more. Personally, I would rather not that my grocer's establishment assaulted the olfactory with the scent of, oh, say, a tire fire, and I am pleased to attempt a little self restraint while being assaulted with good food scents.


Based on these fab 5 beware of's, my suggestion is to beware of Smart Money magazine, assuming it is anything like the dot com. It's not even worth the time while you wait to pay for all those groceries that you didn't need.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could go at least five in reverse, right back at those stores for moving things around. I've been in retail a long time, and there's so many ways I've seen people "legally" shoplift, there's no way it doesn't factor into the CPI. BTW remember Venture, the store with the big black and white sign? It was their policy to have things all over the store where they didn't belong just so I'd walk the store. Who would've thought the only place to put 40# bags of dogfood would be in the center aisle by the cleaning products? I hated them for that, but when that's the best price on dog food I went and searched.

PURPLE FLAG ON SATURDAY said...

I liked Venture, sort of like Target before Target.

As for grocery stores, I don't know the location of most of the stuff. I always know fresh fruit and veggies, pasta, baguettes,Diet Pepsi and ice cream. Do they sell other stuff?

Amy said...

Even if you don't know the layout of a grocery store, if you stick to the perimeter, you'll be fine. Fresh food is always along the outer-most walls (the deli, fruits and veggies, dairy products, etc.). You have to venture to the aisles for all the processed food you shouldn't eat anyway. And in the aisles is really where they try to confuse you...like by putting some hot sauces in the the Mexican food section, and other hot sauces by the salad dressing.

PURPLE FLAG ON SATURDAY said...

"The perimeter is secure"

Anonymous said...

Hahahahahaha...I get it