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Conniving. Manipulative. Scheming. I’m not talking about your ex; I’m talking about your grocery store. On your next trip, be prepared to fight back against the tactics most supermarket chains use to get you to spend more money on "extras" that you don't really need—tactics that affect your wallet and your health. You’re on your weekly grocery trip. You’ve got your list in hand, and you're ready to purchase the items you need for your healthy, preplanned meals. You walk through the supermarket doors and…oh! Look at the Fourth of July decorations! Visions of cookouts, party favors and kids with sparklers are now dancing through your head. You hang around the display, pick up a "two-for" deal on red, white and blue wrapped chocolates, and grab streamers and balloons because your sister-in-law might have forgotten supplies to jazz up the kids table for the party next week. 2,549 calories and at least $10 unplanned dollars later, you’ve been the victim of a grocery store plot. Distractions at the grocery store happen, and that's no accident. Strategic product placements purposely distract you from your well-intended list and entice you to purchase those little extras. Supermarket chains spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to know exactly how, where, when, and why you shop. They use this information to get you to linger longer, fill your basket—make that your cart—to the brim, and spend more of your hard-earned cash than you intended to spend. But your grocer may be hurting more than just your wallet with these marketing maneuvers. Let’s put on our spy gear and take a mental tour through the supermarket to investigate the nooks and crannies where stores hide their tricks. Take note so the next time you head to the grocery, you’ll have a plan of attack. End the End Cap Enticement Conveniently placed on the end of every aisle, "end caps" are home to sale items and seasonal kits that may not have been on your list but look oh-so-inviting when you see them. Items for s’mores, pumpkin pie, or green bean casserole are often creativity combined on these aisle ends. Foods on end caps are generally low in nutrients and high in added fat and sugar. Battle plan: If it’s on your list for greater health, you just saved a trip down the aisle. If it’s not, smile, but keep walking past the pretty display and find your next listed item. Shelve Your Impulses Major brands pay grocers to shelve their top-selling items at eye level. They even go so far as to place products geared toward children right within their little paws’ reach—cartoon characters, bright colors and all are low to the ground or cart-level for wee ones who sit in the seat of your shopping cart. Battle plan: Make an educated decision. Glance up and down before choosing an item (less inexpensive generic items, often the same nutritionally, might be lower or higher on the shelf than more expensive brand named products). And always check out the nutrition facts label. Also, if you are shopping with the kiddies, ask them to help you find healthful foods in the store. Turn your grocery list into a scavenger hunt checklist to play as you shop. Continued › |
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Nutrition Articles › Quick and Easy7 Secrets to Outsmart Your SupermarketLook Past the Super Marketing to Protect Your Wallet and Your Waistline-- By Sarah Haan, Registered DietitianSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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Sarah Haan
Sarah is a registered dietitian with a bachelor's degree in dietetics. She helps individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and manage their weight. An avid exerciser and cook, Sarah likes to run, lift weights and eat good food. See all of Sarah's articles. |
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Member Comments
ic etc usually all under a dollar depending on how much i want :) - 6/5/2013 2:47:21 AM
stock up on fruits and veggies at the road side market or farmers markets, that way you arent tempted by the bakery and bread items that are placed along the aisles as you make your way to the produce section in most groceries.. i fell for tricks like these, but, i ended up with stuff i would never use and threw away, my family was the worst to cook enough cookout food for 35 people, when there was only 8 maybe 12 ppl there to eat.
go in with list in hand, full tummy, and wear your blinders, dont look to the left or the right, focus straight ahead - 6/3/2013 5:04:58 PM
There is only one small shelf in front of the checkout for an offer which is very often fabric softener, bread or potato...
LOVE SPAIN!!! - 5/11/2012 3:53:56 AM
Another point, stock up on sale items if you use them frequently. There are only 2 people in my house, but if whole chickens are on sale 2-for-1, I'll buy a couple of packs & put them in the freezer.
If there's a Sam's Club or BJ's or Costco, etc, nearby, it might be worth joining. I buy Quaker Old Fashioned Oats for less than $8.00 for 10 POUNDS!!! That goes a long way at 1/2 cup per serving. Much more economical than buying boxes of instant oatmeal or even the canisters of plain oatmeal. Many other healthy products cost less there, as well as paper & cleaning items.
Since I only shop at warehouse stores once every 4-6 weeks, I don't overspend when I'm there. - 3/28/2012 3:45:05 PM