- Abby King Latest Free Stuff
You might not be aware of it, but retailers definitely are: there is a complex science behind shopping. For decades they have painstakingly researched the psychology of our shopping habits and have been using their findings to design store layouts, determine promotions and even decide what music should be played.
Supermarkets have an army of tried and tested methods to subconsciously influence how we shop. Many of these involve the physical layout of the shop and the actual products themselves.
Let’s take a look at some of these clever marketing strategies which encourage us to dig deeper into our pockets.
5 Clever Marketing Strategies Retailers Use
1. The front of the store is purposely designed to delight your senses as soon as you step foot inside. Brightly coloured fruit and veg and pretty bouquets of flowers at the front entice you in.
2. Essentials like milk, cheese and bread are often located at the back of the store in the hope we get distracted into buying other products along the way.
3. To get to these daily essentials, you have to walk through aisles and past aisle ends pasted in fluorescent ‘DEAL’ and ‘SPECIAL OFFER’ signs. Rarely are own brands seen in these sections, that is because premium brands are perceived to be much better value when displayed away from cheaper alternatives.
4. Even product placement on the shelves has been scientifically analysed. Brands will pay more to have their products placed at eye level on a shelf as it has been proven that we are more likely to buy these products!
5. Apparently, music can have an almost hypnotising effect dependent on the tempo of the tunes playing. Studies suggest that slower songs relax our pace and make us spend more time, well, spending!
How Do We Avoid Overspending?
1. The simplest yet crucial step that we often don’t make time for, or completely forget, is making a list beforehand. A bit of self discipline will streamline your shopping experience and help stop you unnecessarily straying into the confectionary aisle. Making a good list is key, so check your cupboards, fridge and freezer before you leave home so you only end up buying what you need.
2. Don’t allow yourself to be lured in by the bright colours of promotional signage! BOGOF and its friend 3 for 2 might seem a good idea (and admittedly sometimes they are), but more often than not they are more costly than own brand alternatives and force you to stock up on items you just don’t need.
3. Don’t be misled by the fancy packaging of branded food, especially if you don’t have a way of scoring any discount against it. Research has shown that own brand food is often produced in the same factories as the big brands, so you can end up paying a premium for the artwork rather than the contents itself.
4. Get your timing right. If you can, shop near closing time and learn when your local reduces stock. Again, only buy what you would have anyway and freeze what you don’t use straight away.
5. Another important timing point: don’t shop hungry! A rumbling stomach really clouds
your judgement and budgeting goes out of the window.
6. Only grab a basket or trolley if you intend on filling it. Again, physically allowing yourself the room to buy more than you need subconsciously tells your brain to pick up more than you need!
7. Do you even need to go to the supermarket? Perhaps for a big shop, but for quick purchases, visit your local convenience store and pick up the one item you need without all the temptations around you, and for fruit, veg and meat, it can be well worth checking out local markets and butchers’ as they are often cheaper.
8. We always say we’ll do it next time but consider signing up to supermarket’s reward schemes. If you’re a loyal one shop person, you can rack up some decent points which you can use against the cost of your shopping.
9. Have you ever thought of trying couponing? This American craze has crossed the Atlantic and there really are so many savings to be made this way. Just don’t fall into the trap of buying things you don’t need because you can get money off it defeats the object if you’re still spending even a fraction of the full cost unnecessarily. However, sometimes you can be really lucky and find coupons to get products completely free, which can really add variety to your shop without costing a penny. There are thousands of money off and free coupons waiting to be claimed you just need to find them! A great place to start is LatestFreeStuff. There are always new and genuine freebies, coupons and discount vouchers available to print and redeem against a wide range of products.
10. Cashback sites are becoming an increasingly popular way of saving money on your online purchases. However, they’re also a great way of saving money instore too. TopCashback’s Snap & Save allows you to earn cashback on your everyday essentials and it’s so easy to use: download the app, purchase an item on offer and take a picture of your receipt. Upload your image on the app to get cashback credited to your account. Combine cashback with the other tips and you’re more than ready to start making huge savings at the supermarket!
Now you’re armed with invaluable tips to avoid overspending at the supermarket. There’s plenty you can do to rein in your spend, from the methods you use to pay for your shopping to the time you actually visit the supermarket. With a bit of planning and willpower to resist temptation, you’re all set to control your spending.
Next time you’re doing your shopping, see how many of these tactics you can put to the test.
