Experts have discovered that the average consumer tends to remember the price of only four items in a grocery store - and we all know that there's no way most of us leave the grocery store with less than that many items.
Every business has their own methods to get customers spending more money.
Here are 10 tricks grocery stores use to get your cart full and your wallet empty.
10. Shopping cart size
The bigger the size of the shopping cart, the more inclined you are to fill it. Think about it, have you ever walked out of Costco or Sam's Club with only one or two items in your shopping cart?
9. The produce aisle
Grocery shopping is not the highlight of anyone's day. The array of bright colors in the produce section will brighten up your mood and get you motivated to shop right when you first walk in. However, the produce aisle requires the most work, so it's easy to just grab pre-packaged produce and leave that section. Be aware that those bags are more expensive than the un-cut produce.
8. Fresh baked goods
Your eyes had some beautiful colors to look at in the produce section, but that amazing, fresh smell that gets your stomach grumbling is from the bakery. Now that they've made you hungry, you're ready to buy anything that looks good.
7. Eye-level items
Supermarkets want to draw your attention to top-selling or more popular brands, which, conveniently for them, happen to be the more expensive options. For example, you'll notice how popular sugary cereals are placed at eye-level, while healthier options are either on the bottom shelf or on a high shelf. This method is also used to entice kids to see more popular and expensive brands first in the snacks aisle.
6. Sample stations
If you're like many customers who tend to buy the same products over and over again, you're likely not inclined to try something new. This is why many supermarkets offer samples to try their foods, which encourage you to buy that product. If you like it, you'll be adding an extra item on your grocery list.
5. The organization of products
Have you noticed that some items are moved around occasionally? This tactic is very useful to get you moving to search for the product you intended to buy in the first place.
4. Product placement and design
You'd think that products that are placed on the side of the aisles are on sale or 'special' in some way. In fact, companies pay more to have their items placed in a certain spot so that customers are more inclined to look and consider the product.
3. Essentials are in the back
The more favorable or essential items are placed toward the back of the store. You'll have to browse through everything until you get there.
2. The music
You know how being on an elevator playing slow jazz-sounding music makes your ride seem so much longer than it really is? That same technique is employed at many supermarkets. Although we don't pay close attention to the mellow background tune, experts suggest it makes customers move slowly around the store, which only means that you'll be spending more time browsing and choosing items.
1. Items near the checkout
These cheap and delicious products will tingle your food temptations. You'll have several minutes to look at these products, so if you succumb to the temptation, you'll be grabbing at least one or two of these items.
Have you noticed any of these supermarket tricks? Share this story with a friend to let them know!