12 Tricks Grocery Stores Use That Most People Still Fall For
It's easy for grocery stores to trick people into spending more money than they meant to. They use tricks to get people to buy things that aren't on their lists, and sometimes, it's not even about the things themselves but the shopping experience.
- Tricia Quitales
- 5 min read
There are tricks that grocery stores use to get you to spend more money that you don’t even notice. The goal of these tricks, ranging from clever pricing to store layouts, is to get you to buy more than you planned. This article discusses 12 tricks that grocery stores still use to get people to buy things. If you know these tricks, you can become a more careful and cost-conscious shopper.
1. Strategic Store Layouts
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Grocery stores intentionally arrange their aisles to make you more likely to buy things you don’t really need. Often, the most important things, like milk and bread, are in the back, so you have to walk past many other things to get to them. This layout makes it more likely that you’ll grab things you don’t need.
2. End-of-Aisle Displays
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Products at the ends of aisles are often the most tempting because they are set up to catch your eye. Grocery stores know that putting something extra in a visible place makes people more likely to buy it. There are often sales items on these racks, but they might not always be the best deal.
3. Smell-Based Marketing
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Stores use smell to make people feel things and change how they buy things. The smell of freshly baked bread or cookies is often in the air, which makes you hungry and makes you want to buy things you didn’t plan to. Smell is a powerful force that makes you more likely to pick up something because it smells good.
4. Loyalty Programs
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Grocery stores offer loyalty cards or apps to get people to shop more often. While these programs say they will give you discounts, many people spend more to get those discounts. Most of the time, these “deals” don’t save people as much money as they think they do.
5. Eye-Level Shelving
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Most of the time, the most expensive or profitable items are put where people can see them. This makes it easier for people to grab them without giving them much thought. Companies that make goods pay grocery stores to put their goods in these key spots because they know people will notice them more. It’s a simple trick that works since it’s simple to miss.
6. Smaller Cart Sizes
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Even if your cart is full, grocery stores make it look like you’re not buying as much by making the carts smaller. When the cart is smaller, you’re more likely to put things in it, and you might not even notice how many you’ve added. This sneaky trick makes you more likely to spend more than you should.
7. Free Samples
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Whether it’s a new snack or something on sale, grocery stores often give away free samples. These samples can make you want to buy things you wouldn’t have thought about before, but they can also make you want to try something new. After the free taste, you feel more emotionally connected to the product, which makes it harder to say no to buying it.
8. Discounting Certain Items
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Grocery stores often offer discounts to make people feel rushed and to make people afraid of missing out (FOMO). If a sign says “50% off” or “limited-time offer,” you might feel like you need to buy the item right away, even if you don’t. In order to get you to buy something, they use your fear of missing out on a good deal against you.
9. Music to Set the Mood
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The music played in grocery stores changes how fast you shop and how you act. Slow and relaxing music makes you move more slowly and linger, which can cause you to buy more things you didn’t plan to. If you stay in the store longer, you are more likely to buy things on the spot.
10. “Bulk” Buying
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Grocery stores often sell more of an item at a slightly lower price to make you think buying in bulk is a good idea. Even though buying in bulk can save you money, you usually end up with more than you need, which means you spend money you don’t need to. It can be tempting to buy these bigger packages, but if you don’t use everything you buy, you might not save any money.
11. Using Bright Colors for Sales Signs
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Sale signs often use bright colors to get your attention, like red or yellow. People say these colors make them feel like they need to act quickly, which may make you decide to buy something immediately. Food stores use this trick to make you feel like you need to buy something quickly to get a deal.
12. Checkout Impulse Buys
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There are many small, cheap items in the area where you pay to tempt you right before you pay. Things like gum, candy, and magazines are put there to get people to make one last purchase without thinking. You don’t think much about adding these small things to your bill because you’re already at the register, but they add up.