How supermarkets trick us into spending more

Any one that is in my group, or who reads my blogs regularly, knows that I am on a mission to use the supermarkets as few times as I can this year. We are making more of our own basics like bread and yoghurt, with out  the added chemicals and  ingredients that I have never heard of. I want to support local businesses as much as I can on our small income as well.

Shopping intentionally is important to staying within my small food budget.  However, when I do enter a supermarket it is so easy to walk out with more than I intended to buy.  I read a survey that said that 50% of women’s shopping carts are things that they had not intended to buy. I am aware that supermarkets have practices to trick us into spending more, and so I thought that I would share some with you.

You will probably be aware of most of these, but it is just good to have a nudge and a reminder some times so that we don’t get caught out.

1. They pump the smell of the bakery into the entrance and throughout the store so that you will want some when you see them.  Don’t go to the shop hungry or you might be tempted!
2. Buy one and get one free promotions can persuade you to buy something that you normally wouldn’t buy as you think that it is a bargain.  I only buy if they are already on my list, or something that we buy regularly.
3. Sweets (and now ‘healthy products like granola bars or nuts) are displayed at the checkout so that you will be tempted to make an impulse purchase.  I used to find it so hard with chocolate bars ‘staring’ at me and begging me to buy them!  Now, thankfully, the price puts me off.
4. They play slow back ground music.  This is intended to relax you and make you spend more time shopping.  A study by Bangor University found that at about 23 minutes of shopping we start to use the emotional part of brain, rather than the rational one.  At 40 minutes all rational decisions have disappeared.  A way to avoid this could be to put your own upbeat music on your head phones.
5. They offer free samples so that you might be tempted to buy something that you wouldn’t normally.  They actually did this at a farm shop we visited last month but it back fired for them as  I tried 3 samples of quiche but didn’t buy any, even though they were lovely.  It kept me going until my late lunch!
6. They layout the food and floor plan so that you will have to buy more. Usually vegetables and fruit are at the front so that you put them in the trolley first.  That way you are supposed to not feel guilty when you put the sweet stuff in. Often the bread and milk, and other staples, are a long way from the entrance, usually at the back.  That way you will have to pass lots of other products that they want to sell you on the way.  Supermarkets also keep moving things around and changing the layout so that you have to wander around hunting for things.
7. Bright coloured stickers with big numbered amounts on like £2.  I have been caught by this one.  You pick the item up thinking that it is £2, when in fact is is £2 off, and it costs a lot more at the till.  They are hoping that you would be too embarrassed to say that you don’t want it, or won’t notice..
8. The most expensive products are at eye level, and the cheapest are on the bottom shelf so that you are less likely to see them, or want to bend down for them.  I now look there first.
9. Items have cartoon characters that children love on them so that the kid’s see them and want them.  This is usually cereals, but I am noticing more and more that other products are been marketed in this way.  My grandson wanted some Paw Patrol small packets of raisins.  They were 90p more than the ones in ordinary packaging.  I did buy them once, but now I save the boxes and refill them from the sultanas in my baking cupboard.  I guess the answer is to try not to take children shopping.
10. Multibuys.  These are made to look like they are a bargain eg. 3 for the price of 2.  A Which report found that these often worked out more expensive as the price of the 2 were hiked up and the items could be bought separately elsewhere for less money.  It is a good idea to always check your prices on line at other stores before you buy any ‘multibuys’.
11. The size of shopping trollies or carts have increased over the years.  An experiment by Andrew Lindstrom found that those shopping with a bigger cart were more likely to buy 40% more products.  I always shop with a basket so that I can’t carry too much.
12. Selling convenience food.  Most of us are short of time, especially when working and looking after family.  Items are therefore packaged to save us time, eg sliced carrots, or ready made meals.  Most of these are not as healthy as if you prepared them yourself.
13. They often put lots of full priced items that are bright coloured and identical on the end of shelves. It is easy to think that they are a promotion and pick a couple up.  Sometimes they fill the shelves with a promotion that does not start until the following day.  It is best to check the price.
14. Meal deals look good value, but if you bought bread, filling, a 6 pack of crisps, and some cans of drinks and made your own pack up each day it would work out a lot cheaper.
15. Leaving promotions that have finished on display.  People picked them up thinking that they were getting a bargain, only to be charged more at the checkout. A BBC investigation in 2017 found that this happened in many stores.  Always check your receipts.
16. Supermarkets have premium brands with fancy packaging that cost a lot more.  They are not necessarily better.  It is only worth buying those if you have tried the basic brands and don’t like them.
17. Check when buying large packaged items.  We automatically think that we are getting something at a low price when we bulk buy.  The supermarkets know this, and so surprisingly you can often find smaller packets that work out cheaper buying a few rather than the big packet.  I always work out the price of items by looking at the price per kg.
18. Shrinkflation.  Some products like butter have reduced in size, but are the same price, or have gone down by a few pence and so you think that you have got a bargain.  This makes it difficult to compare prices as weights are different in different stores.  I have noticed some things packaged to look bigger, but when you open them up, the item only fills half the box.  I always check the weight.

Supermarkets understand the psychology of shoppers and use it to their advantage.  I now try to do some reverse psychology to get my own back. I always try to go with a list, and shop from my cupboards, fridge and freezer first.  I compare prices with other stores and shop around, the weights in stores, and never shop when hungry.  Now that I am aware of supermarket tricks to persuade me to buy more, I can usually avoid them.  I often only buy the items that they reduce in price to tempt us in to the store (loss leaders), unless they are staples that I need.

Are you aware of any other sneaky ways that the supermarkets get us to buy more?  Please share if you do.