Audio Version: Let Me Hear It!
Imagine a place where you are surrounded by beautiful flowers, soft music, vibrant colors and an incredible aroma that makes your mouth water. Great news! You will likely visit such a place many times. We’re talking about the grocery store. While you may think of it as an errand, it’s actually a subliminal experience designed to dig deeper into your wallet. So, on your next shopping trip, be aware of these grocery store tricks that play into your psychology and senses.
1. The Colorful Greeting: Produce and flowers are located near the front of the store because their bright colors can put you in a good mood. We like good moods, so just go with this one!
2. The Size Play: Shopping carts have doubled in size over the years. More room has been proven to lead to more purchases so take a basket or put a basket in the big cart to help keep your purchases down. While carts have gotten bigger, checkout lanes have become smaller to leave less room to “ditch” items during checkout. So, ditch early or shamelessly hand over what you don’t really want to the checker.
3. The Cool Sounds: Many stores play music with a slow beat to slow you down and keep you there longer. Consider taking your own music (nothing says focused and resilient like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”).
4. The Sense Play: It’s no accident that you smell fresh baked bread and rotisserie chicken when you shop. These scents get you salivating and lead to additional purchases. Stave off the cravings and go to the store on a full stomach.
5. The 10-for-$10 Trick: The 10-for-$10 is one of the most successful grocery store promotions but grocers may actually mark-upa $.90 item to $1, betting that we are foolish enough to buy ten of something for a buck rather than five of something for $.90. Don’t make that a good bet!
6. The Wet Trick: The water mist on produce might make it look cleaner but it can actually make it spoil faster and it adds to its weight. Switch your audio player to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” as a friendly reminder while perusing the produce section.
7. The Placement Game: Despite popular belief, end cap items aren’t necessarily a deal. They’re simply strategic placement paid for by merchandisers. Aisle shelves at eye-level are also a more expensive space and tend to hold items with the largest mark-ups. Take the opportunity for a good neck stretch and look up and look down for the real bargains. Don’t forget that your kids have an eye level too and grocers are fully aware. Leave the kids at home or buy them something at the start to distract them from mad grabs along the way.
