The average American visits the grocery store 1.6 times a week. And every time we go, we are influenced, steered, and pushed to buy certain products. Marketers skillfully apply all they know, investing more than $1.6 Billion per year to assure that buyers are engaged, and products are flying off the shelves.
With that much money and expertise involved, isn’t it interesting that we, as consumers, don’t know how thoroughly our attention and buying impulses are being tracked and manipulated?
This month we look at the illusion of choice. I define that as thinking one is exercising free will when, in reality, one is not.
We have already looked into how commercial advertisements can influence our buying decisions in previous posts ( See Food For Thought posts “And Now a Word from our Sponsor” and “Grooming, The Power of Mass Media”.
However, it is a big subject, worthy of a PhD if you choose to study it hard enough. As an armchair sociologist myself, I find this subject both fascinating and disturbing. So, let’s take a quick look at how grocery store setup and product placement can nudge us to purchase certain products more than others of equal or better quality and value.
While we are all susceptible to these tactics, I will note that children are particularly vulnerable. The good news is that we can learn about the marketing methods at work in the grocery store. Then, just by sharpening our awareness, we can become better, healthier shoppers. We can help our kiddos do the same.
Grocery Store Layout.
Store arrangement is a carefully planned psychological ride. Next time you go into a supermarket, ask yourself the following questions.
- Does the entrance allow/nudge/require the shopper to turn right and head to the produce section? Does that path include a little trip past the bakery or floral departments? Smells great? Looks pretty? Perfect. This is all designed to help you drop your defenses and drive up your appetite.
- Is there a wide path around the store perimeter? Yes? Good. It should take you past the meats and deli, the dairy products, frozen foods, and maybe even the liquor department. You will also notice you pass most of the aisles at some point in your circular excursion. Do you have easy access to everything in the store? Perfect.
- Are the displays on the ends of the aisles splashy and colorful (lots of reds and yellows)? Do they grab your attention? Maybe they have flashing lights or figures that move? Excellent. They are doing their job. Grocery store management pros call them “end caps.” They are high-dollar real estate in the supermarket industry. Literally. Research shows that shoppers purchase more goods from the ends of aisles than in other areas. So, grocery store owners charge sellers a premium to locate their products on end caps.
- Are the milks, eggs, and cheeses stationed at the back of the store? Yes, that’s right, too. It is a strategy that requires the average shopper (who just wants to get milk and eggs) to run the grocery gauntlet while the end caps entice them to buy other items they don’t yet know they need.
Isn’t it good to know your megastore is up to par with all that?
Product Placement: Where and On What Shelves
- If you walk down the aisles, are the highest-priced and prestige brands at about adult eye-level? Are the lower-priced and lower name recognition items near the floor? Again-spot on. It works really well if the adults can reach the higher-priced spaghetti sauce with minimal movement. It is far better if we can just reach out and grab a jar without squatting or sitting on the floor. It takes seconds and nets the store a couple of dollars more than a less expensive brand of similar quality. Maybe we read the label. Maybe we don’t. Either way, it’s nothing but net for the grocery store.
- Are the toys, sugary kids’ cereals, and candies at kid eye-level? Are the eyes of the cartoon characters on the boxes looking into the eyes of the little people who pass by? That’s 100% as designed! That eye-to-eye gaze is captivating. It keeps children coming back for more every time.
- Are the Checkout Lanes well stocked with small, last-minute, easy-to-grab items? Excellent. The marketing gurus nailed it. They are all in place to influence your purchases and even get your children to help persuade you if you hesitate.
We could go on and on about the illusion of choice, nudge theory and choice architecture, all names for different aspects of how to apply pressure to influence behavior without being noticed. Here are 2 more resources you might like to check out “8 Ways Supermarkets Make You Buy More”
and “Surviving the Sneaky Psychology of Supermarkets”.
How can we resist when we don’t know we are being pushed?
- Make a shopping list and stick to it. This will help decrease impulse buying.
- Eat before you go to the grocery store. The aroma of baked goods will be less enticing on a full belly.
- Do most of your shopping in the produce department. Buy foods as unprocessed as possible.
- Be careful about the items you get in the aisles. That’s where a lot of the high calorie, processed foods are found.
- Yes, everybody wants a little convenience now and then. However, most convenience foods are processed. Be sure to read ingredients labels so you can select the most nutritious options.
- You may have noticed that ingredients labels can be very hard to read. Use a magnifying glass or take picture of the label use your cell phone and enlarge it if you need to.
- Look for whole-grain flours, breads, and pastas. These may be in the aisles, too. So stay strong!
- Canned and dry beans are nutrition powerhouses. Dry beans will usually be the best value.
- Purchase in bulk when you can, especially grains and beans.
- Teach your children how to shop. Show them the value of the produce department. Get them to help pick out the fruit and veggies for the week.
Boiling it down
Keep in mind that smart marketers are constantly studying buying patterns. They focus on what moves the population, when, and how often. The best you can do is start seeing the tricks at play in the grocery store and begin to teach your children. Remember that advertisements encourage kids to pester their caregivers to get what they want. Knowing that, if your kiddos become too demanding in the grocery store, consider your options. You could offer them a luscious piece of fruit instead of buying a box of uber-sweet cereal with a big-eyed cartoon character on it. Remember, you are the adult in the room, and you really do have a choice in how it goes.
