17 Tricks Stores Use To Make You Spend More Money (2024)

FAQs

How do supermarkets trick you into spending more money? ›

Placing impulse items near the register

Not only do these impulse items tend to drive people to spend more at the supermarket, but they're generally among the least competitively priced. So all told, you're losing out -- even if you do enjoy that mega-sized Twix.

Sales That Seem Better Than They Are

A big yellow tag might only mean you're saving $0.30. Stores are counting on you to be impressed by the “free” part of buy-one-get-one-free deals. But if this deal entices you to buy a product you wouldn't normally buy, it's just a way of getting you to spend more money.

The bright colours and fresh seasonal scents are designed to lift your mood for the shopping experience ahead of you. Why? Because the science tells us that when you feel good, you spend more. Psychologists call this effect 'implicit priming': where one stimulus influences a subsequent response to another stimulus.

Supermarkets use end caps to get people to buy more. Customers often think that because a food item is on a display at the end of the aisle, the price is reduced. However, end caps drive increased sales, even if the price is the same as usual.

One of the most common supermarket marketing ploys is placing the most expensive items at eye level. This trick is most apparent on the cereal aisle where boxes of similar products are lined up, probably for most of the aisle.

The opposite of charm pricing or decoy pricing or deceptive discount pricing, prestige pricing operates on the assumption that shoppers will be more likely to buy an item if the price is higher, regardless of the actual production costs or quality of the product itself.

This is all by design… Retailers strategically position high-margin and popular items at eye level or even near the checkout, where they are more likely to catch your attention. They may even put certain items on the ends of aisles or high-traffic areas of the store where they know they will be seen.

Your grocery store makes money by selling products that meet basic human needs – from food and drinks to household products and pet food. But there's a lot of competition in the industry. Stores often push down prices to attract customers, but is that the best way to go?

No Dollar Signs and Other Menu Tricks

According to Cornell University research, consumers tend to spend more when dollar signs are left off the menu. Restaurants may also display a few higher-priced items, knowing you probably won't choose them, but other items will look more reasonably priced in comparison.

Consumer spending habits are influenced by so many factors. Some of these factors include personal income, financial goals, cultural influences, peer pressure, advertising, economic conditions (such as inflation or recessions), and individual preferences.

Where do stores put the most expensive items? ›

Place high-value items at the entrance

Conversely, placing high value, limited edition and luxury items towards the front of your store entices customers inside and makes them more likely to make additional impulse purchases.

Grocery stores often place high-margin, visually appealing products here to catch the shopper's eye and tempt them into purchasing items they hadn't initially intended to buy. This could be a sale or something else that could be an easy impulse buy like chips and soda.

High-Margin Items at Eye Level

Supermarkets place high-margin products at eye level, making them more noticeable and accessible. Meanwhile, less expensive or generic brands are positioned on the lower shelves, requiring shoppers to look harder for these options.

They also use tactics like placing highly processed products in high visibility points like at the end of aisles and near checkouts, making it difficult for shoppers – especially kids – to miss.