The more I shop at grocery stores, the more convinced I am that they were designed in a lab. I imagine the experimenters putting people in a mock grocery store and setting them loose – watching for where their eyes go every second of the test. This can’t be too far from the truth, because every time I’m at the grocery store I usually buy something I never intended.
They work hard to take our money. We need to work hard to save money when grocery shopping!
7 Marketing Ploys of The Grocery Store
This has to end. Grocery stores are designed to eat away at our wallets, and it’s time we fight back! We have to be intentional about our grocery shopping if we want to save money. But to outsmart those clever marketers, we have to know their tactics. Here are 7 of them:
Endcap Specials. There are some beautifully assembled endcaps that are just waiting to grab your attention. The mere suggestion that there are hundreds of these boxes stacked suggests you are getting a deal. Think again. Endcaps are stocked with product the store wants to move, and they usually aren’t generic brands either.- The Bakery. Ah, the smell of freshly baked bread. A real temptation! The bakery can be a death trap for your wallet. Smelling the aromas coming from the bakery lure you in and compel you to buy more. Try avoiding the bakery altogether if you can. Okay, okay, maybe you like a good loaf of bread now and again. I understand. But know that if you linger in the bakery too long, you’ll soon grab more than your stomach will allow – and that’s just wrong.
- Free Samples. Did someone say Costco? I’ve often heard of people going to Costco just to get some free samples! But what ends up happening? They buy an unheard of amount of little smokies. Bad play. Free samples make us want snack foods even more. In the end, we buy more than we intend, and our wallet pays the price.
- Stores Inside Stores. Many times, there will be stores inside the grocery store. For example, Starbucks! This can be a real wallet-drainer of an expense. Avoid these stores. Another thing to consider is banks inside of grocery stores. Sounds mutually beneficial, doesn’t it? You’ll be tempted to spend more money if your bank is located inside a grocery store. Don’t think about it!
- Clearance Stickers. Isn’t it amazing how everything is “on sale?” That’s because it really isn’t. Markdowns are simply great ways of making you think you’re getting a deal. Chances are that your grocery store has some type of “membership card.” This makes you feel special and like you’re getting a killer deal. Not always so! Instead, try shopping for generic brands and looking a bit harder for the stickers that show how much product you’re getting per unit of weight. This will help you get more bang for your buck!
- Essentials Wall. Ever notice how when you stop by the grocery store to get some essentials you have to go to the back of the store? You know: like milk, cheese, and eggs? Those pesky marketers want you to walk past the yummy temptations lining the aisles! The more distance you cover, the more likely you are to spend.
- Checkout Impulses. By the time you get to the checkout, you’ve made a decision to quit spending. That’s why the grocery store tries one last time to take your money in exchange for some low cost Tic Tacs or Snickers bars! Do you really need them? Of course not. Okay, maybe some breath mints are a good idea here and there. But you get the idea! Beware of impulsing at the checkout!
Get Intentional About Your Spending
The biggest asset you have in avoiding overspending at the grocery store is your ability to be intentional in everything you do. Know what you’re going there to get, and stick to the grocery list! Don’t be overcome by the clever marketing ploys of your grocery store. Make a decision to grab a few items, and that’s it! You’ll be amazed at how much money you can save!
What are some ways you save money grocery shopping?
Photo by merfam
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
John, glad you brought up points 6 and 7. It’s a clever move on the parts of supermarkets to put staples (milk, eggs, meat, etc.) all the way in the back. Walking through the aisles, they hope something you didn’t intend to buy will catch your eye!
And if that doesn’t get you, they hope the little items on the checkout line will get your attention. After all, what’s the big deal with a few extra dollars? I see this quite frequently!
Sometimes I can get a free lunch at Costco just by picking samples
Avoid the center of the store. The packaged stuff costs more than making it yourself. Stick to the walls and you’ll save money and eat healthier too!
They know exactly what they need to do to get you. I never thought of the free samples as a bad thing. But I guess if it makes you desire snack food, it’s a bad deal!
I am a ‘couponer’. I am one of those people that you don’t want to be stuck behind me in line at the grocery store. On average, I will walk into a grocery store with over $100 worth of coupons and a well planned and well thought out list. Bottom line, I know exactly what each item is going to cost me after my coupons and I know how much ‘overage’ I have built into my list in order to get fresh meat and produce, and I buy nothing unless it’s on my list. I currently feed a family of 4 (my kids are 6 & 1) on a grocery budget of $75 per week. Yes, that does include paper goods and bathroom items (shampoo, soap, etc).
Good points. From a marketing perspective, you’ve got to admire grocery store setups.
Point #3 is what Costco and Sam’s Club are all about. There’s a certain guilt factor that hits many people. “Oh what, you’re just going to take my free goods and not give me something in return?”
I think you can save money by going to the store every couple of days (provided it’s not out of the way). Less temptation to store up goods and a clearer picture of what you need.
This article gives a complete insight on how to save a certain sum of money at grocery shops where shopping is not an easy task.. especially i liked the free samples part as they are really the money savers
I find that buy not going to the store hungry I spend less. Plus there is a store called Ali that is near by and it is half the price of even Wal-Mart. There is very little that I buy name brand and it is the same taste as the national brands and the major store name brands as well.
We shop @ Kroger & on average save at least $50 each week. We buy mainly the Kroger brand items & I ALWAYS check on the Kroger website to load up our savers card with digital coupons. After groceries are finished being checked, we wait until the discounts & coupons from our card are finished coming off the total THEN give the paper coupons to the cashier for more savings.
My question to Jason & to others who feel you should not “stock up” but only purchase what you need WHEN it is needed…what happens when there is a crisis in your community & you cannot get to your local grocer? Take any number of natural disasters…earthquake, flood, fire, tornado, hurricane. These are lessons that people should have taken from Katrina & the epic failure of FEMA. Several people lost their lives waiting on help because they were not prepared. Granted, if your items are all underwater it does you no good anyway, but with the warnings given, there was ample opportunity for someone that had on hand items to move their stockpile to prepare for moving them. I am not trying to be doom & gloom, but this practice needs to find its way back into our homes rather than relying on the “convenience” of grocery stores.
I forgot to mention, we shop for a family of 6 (my husband & I, our 3 children ages 12, 7 and 4 plus my 77 year old father). Our weekly budget is $150 at the most, $200 if we know relatives are coming in from out of town.