Are you a budget-minded grocery shopper that always ends
up with a few too many items after your shopping run? Or maybe you just can't
seem to make that grocery budget week in, week out. Paco Underhill,
the author of Call of the Mall,
reports that almost 2/3 of our purchases were made without the intention of
actually buying it before laving home.
Grocery stores are just one of the 'meccas' of mass
marketing, a warehouse of opportunity for branding and advertising giants to
capture those sales and entice you to spend, spend, spend. If you find yourself
at the mercy of your neighborhood grocery store each week, here are just seven
deceptive tactics that may be triggering that spending spree:
1. Endcap specials. Some grocery stores list the 'before'
price of items on sale, and it's worth calculating the actual price you're
paying per serving if it's not something you normally buy. Endcap specials at
big retail stores like walmart, Metro, Tesco, Target, for example, sometimes
knock off only $0.30 - $0.50 (15 - 20 Rs) of the original price. Would you buy
it if it was sitting on the regular shelf at that price? In most cases, you
wouldn't see it as much of a saving. Be a wise shopper and look at the real
value of the product, not just the discount.
2. The bakery to greet you with. Walking into a warm and
inviting bakery is one of the best ways to make you hungry. The smell of fresh
bread alone can enhance your appetite, and many stores will be highlighting
'today's special' of freshly baked bread just for you - how convenient! It may
take some firm self-discipline to steer you away from those beautiful cakes and
pastries, but avoiding the bakery completely is simply the best way to save
some money.
3. Free samples. Sure, you could use a snack of yogurt
smoothies and free crackers with gourmet cheese while you shop. And now that
happy moment is imprinted in your conscience, the ideal way to ensure you pick
up a box or bag of the freebie on your next visit - or even your current one
with the help of a coupon. Free samples are a direct marketing tactic that
hardly seem deceptive, but it's one of the hardest purchases to resist -
especially when the sample tasted quite good.
4. The bank. By having the confidence that money is within
walking distance, you are much more likely to spend a little extra. The best
way to get around this is simply not to bank at the same grocery store you shop
in.
Simply entering the
grocery store multiple times per week to cash checks or manage your money can
set you up to shop more -picking up flowers, the day's 'manager's specials',
and that loaf of bread without thinking too much about it.
5. Specials on major brands. Grocery stores are in the
business to make money, not to give you the gift of super-savings. They will
take every step to highlight and showcase the major brands, and these are often
linked to premium prices. It might take some digging to find generic
equivalents or lower priced items, but you can easily save a few Rupees by
shopping smartly. Skip those giant pyramids of cereal boxes, stacks of premium
brand soup, and towers of the latest candy bars; they're all carefully
positioned for you to shop like a kid in a candy store.
6. 'Clearance' stickers. While some items such as bakery
and health and wellness products are marked down for a quick sale, some grocery
stores go overboard with their sales and clearance racks by slapping bright red
or yellow stickers on just about everything. Consider the original price
whenever you reach for that markdown; in some cases, the markdowns only add up
to more money spent by you, especially if you end up throwing out a portion of
something that's near it's expiration date.
7. In-store TV entertainment. Did you catch a segment of
the Food Network on your recent trip to WalMart or a cooking show demo at
SuperTarget? You were probably far from the entertainment section, but the
broadcast was set up right in the grocery aisle and checkout lines. More and
more grocery stores are making attempts to entertain shoppers while they make
their rounds, helping you 'relax and enjoy' your experience - the perfect state
of mind to pummel you with advertising messages and product recommendations.
And since you're already in purchasing mode, you're much more likely to just
add a few items for that enticing new recipe you just 'found.'
It's no mystery that grocery stores are the perfect arena
for marketers and advertisers; just don't succumb to these deceptive tactics by
sticking with your list and heading to the grocery store solely to stock up on
what you really need. Skip the samples, avoid those televisions, and steer
clear of the bakery for the most successful trip!
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