Advertisers use a lot of clever tricks to make you spend more money than you’d planned to when you go to the supermarket. Which crafty tactics are we talking about? You’ll find the most common of them to avoid in this article.
Today’s Discount
Most supermarkets have a deal of the day where they’re selling an item at a special price. This might make people visit the supermarket just for the item and they end up spending more money because they get distracted by other items as they move through the store.
Daily Discounts
Some supermarkets have daily deals on a rotary system. They put different deals on different days of the week so that they can entice you into the store more than once a week. They know that the more you enter the store, the more money you’ll spend.
Points Cards
Points cards at supermarkets make shoppers feel like they’re getting exclusive deals and discounts. But what points cards actually do is restrict you from doing your shopping at other grocery stores where you don’t have a points card even though you could get some of your groceries there cheaper.
In-Store Exclusives
Many grocery stores advertise certain products as in-store exclusives, meaning that you won’t find these products for sale on their website. The exclusivity of these products makes the shoppers feel special and entices them to spend money on items just because they know that online shoppers won’t have them.
Buy One, Get One Free
According to Forbes, “A family with a mother, father and two children between the ages of 9 and 11 would pay between $1,074 (£826) to $1,635 (£1258) a month, on average, for groceries.” But you might end up spending more if you’re enticed by buy one, get one free deals.
As Seen on TV
Some grocery stores label certain items “as seen on TV” when they’ve been featured on TV shows or in movies. This label pushes shoppers to buy the items just because they want to stay on trend. Avoid being lured into a purchase when seeing this.
Checkout Items
Grocery store checkouts are full of low-price everyday items to tempt you to spend a little bit more money before you leave the store. These items are put in a place where you have to stand and stare at them while you wait in line to pay.
Clearance Section
The clearance section of a supermarket is full of things that didn’t sell well and the supermarket wants to get rid of without throwing them away. But the thought of getting a good deal tempts many into spending money on things in this aisle that they don’t need.
99 Pence
Many supermarkets use the 99 pence trap to make us think we’re spending less money than we actually are. Of course, 99 pence isn’t a pound, but it’s the closest you can get to a pound. Round these numbers up in your head when shopping so you can keep track of how much you spend.
Hunger
Yahoo! Finance admits that one of the reasons why we spend more money on groceries is because we go shopping when we’re hungry. When we’re hungry, our spending on snacks and finger food goes through the roof. Always make sure you have something to eat before you grocery shop.
Less Than £5
Some supermarkets have a “less than £5” aisle where you’ll find a lot of low-priced items. Avoid this aisle unless you really need something. It’s so easy to find something tempting to buy here that you want but in reality, you don’t need and didn’t budget for.
Sale
Seeing items on sale in a supermarket is exciting. But before you frantically start dropping things into your shopping basket, think about it. Do you really need these items? Did you come to the store to get them? If you didn’t, don’t buy them. Sales are clever marketing tricks.
2-for-1
2-for-1 deals at supermarkets make shoppers feel like they’ve won the lottery. The thought of getting an item absolutely free is often too tempting to pass up, and shoppers must bag the items even if they don’t need them. Thanks to these and other tactics, Gitnux says the food industry is worth £6.7 trillion.
Money Back Guarantee
Many supermarkets try to tempt their shoppers with expensive items by telling them they have a money-back guarantee if they find they’re not happy with a product within a certain time period (normally 30 calendar days). This encourages shoppers to spend money with more peace of mind.
The Color Red
A popular technique that supermarkets use is to list their prices in the color red. This color is known to accelerate us and entice us into making a rash decision. Think calmly about whether you need something advertised in red before adding it to your shopping cart.
Loudspeaker Announcements
Another trick that supermarkets use is announcing product deals over their loudspeaker system. This helps you get a certain deal in your head, so when you see it you’re moved to buy it. Avoid buying items just because you’ve heard them announced over the supermarket’s loudspeaker system.
Coupons
Do you have a coupon for an item at a grocery store? Before you buy it, think. Do you really need the item you have the coupon for? Grocery stores use coupons to lure shoppers into spending money on things they didn’t even know they wanted. Avoid this trap.