15 Sneaky Ways Supermarkets Get You to Spend More

POPSUGAR Photography / Jae Payne
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Do you ever wander through the grocery store and end up spending more than you were budgeting for? Don't beat yourself up over it — supermarkets actually have several different strategies to trick customers into blowing bucks. Be on the alert and watch out for the sneaky psychology tactics these stores will try to use on you.

01
10 For $10
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

10 For $10

Ten for $10 sounds like a great deal. However, you'll get the same savings even if you only buy one item, according to The New York Times. A grocery store survey recently found that people bought way more items when they saw 10 for $10 deals vs. five for $5 and one for $1 sales. Even if you aren't buying 10 items, your mind will trick you into thinking that the item is such a great deal that you end up buying more of it.

02
Growing Carts
Flickr user Polycart

Growing Carts

No, you're not shrinking; it's the grocery carts that are growing. The larger the cart, the more likely you'll end up spending more, so try to stick to a hand basket instead.

Research found that when the size of the cart doubled, consumers bought 40 percent more.

03
Precut Vegetables and Fruits
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Precut Vegetables and Fruits

Precut veggies look so attractive, with their colorful packaging and promise of less work (no need to wash or chop!). However, they aren't exactly a good deal. CBC News found that precut veggies and fruits can be a lot more expensive than the whole items. You should try to avoid them as much as possible.

04
Items at the Checkout Counter
Flickr user Walmart

Items at the Checkout Counter

Ever wonder why all those magazines and yummy candy are crammed in the front of checkout counters? It's one of the supermarket's tricks to get you to succumb to last-minute purchases while you're waiting in line.

05
Where Is Everything?
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Where Is Everything?

You think you have the layout of your local supermarket down pat when you find out they changed shelves again! Darn it. The stores are actually doing it on purpose, because if you don't know where the items are, you'll end up spending more time in the store. More time to browse means more chances to tempt you into buying more items.

06
Eye-Level Trick
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Eye-Level Trick

Items that are placed at eye level on the shelves tend to be pricier name-brand goods, which are the products the supermarkets want you to buy. Check out the lower shelves for the similar items that have lower prices and fewer markups.

07
Fragrant Items in the Front
POPSUGAR Photography | Matthew Barnes

Fragrant Items in the Front

Flowers and other pleasant-smelling items like baked goods are often put in the front of the supermarket, so you'll be sniffing sweet scents when you first walk in. This will not only put you in a better mood, but it will also trigger your salivary glands, making you more prone to impulse buys.

08
Sneaky Circulars
Flicker user Carol Pyles

Sneaky Circulars

A lot of items in the circulars are full-priced and not necessarily great deals. Watch out for them, and don't assume they are all on sale.

09
Essentials at the Back
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Essentials at the Back

Many of the essentials are in the back of the store or in the middle somewhere, and not in the front. That's because supermarkets want you to walk through the store to reach them and hopefully pop some items into your cart along the way. Similarly, essentials and common buys are also located in the middle of aisles, which will draw you deeper into the supermarket.

10
Colorful Produce
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Colorful Produce

Being hit with splashes of color in the produce aisle right when you walk in the store will put you in a good mood and will make you want to buy more. It sets the tone for the whole shopping experience and makes customers think more favorably of the particular supermarket.

11
Club Cards
Flickr user Mike Mozart

Club Cards

Sure, you are a proud card-carrying member of your local supermarket chain, but it's one strategy grocery stores use to build customer loyalty. It influences you into buying all of your groceries from the supermarket that you're a member of.

12
99 Cents Psychological Pricing
Flickr user Dan DeLuca

99 Cents Psychological Pricing

Tagging a product with 99 cents can make consumers automatically round down. If you price an item for $1.99 vs. $2, the theory is consumers will associate the product with $1 rather than $2.

13
Bulk Shopping
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Bulk Shopping

You may think you are saving a bundle by shopping in bulk. Even if you are, buying more may mean that you'll consume more than normal, which is what supermarkets are hoping you will do.

14
Samples
Flickr user U.S. Department of Agriculture

Samples

Samples slow you down in a supermarket and can get customers to buy a product that wasn't on their list to begin with. Trying something for free can also instill a sense of commitment or obligation to buying the product.

15
Music
POPSUGAR Photography | Kat Borchart

Music

The music is strategically chosen by the supermarket to keep you in a relaxed frame of mind. Music that's too fast can cause you to speed up your shopping and leave the store as soon as you can. Slow music can influence you to take your time and linger around.