Danger in Aisle Six! Four Spendy Spots in the Supermarket

You might wonder how $1 candy bars and $2 sodas make so much money. Cash register displays fall into two categories: 1) small things you didn’t remember you needed, like toothbrushes or batteries, and 2) splurges that are small enough to justify, such as candy, gum, et cetera. Simply buying those things in the aisle could save a lot more money because what’s at the register is marked up severely. In 2009, Consumer Reports visited a store to test that theory. It showed that customers who purchased a twenty-ounce soda bottle at the register for $1.49 could’ve picked up a six-pack of smaller bottles that cost $0.66 for every 20 ounces. But grocery stores are banking on the fact that very few people will get out of line at that point to scout out better options. 

4. Shelves at Eye Level
Imagine walking down an aisle. Where does your eye naturally fall? Probably toward the right and on eye-level shelves, right? Well, you’re not alone. “We tend to look to the right more than we do to the left,” Dr. Yarrow says. It’s not until we come across a desired product that we turn our bodies fully toward it and look beyond the midlevel shelves. But if we’re in a hurry, we might just reach for what our eyes hit first, and that’s why eye-level shelf space is pricey. You’ll find the more expensive products there, whereas cheaper brands tend to live on lower shelves. 

Before reading up on supermarket layouts and talking with Dr. Yarrow, I’d never realized how sneakily stores can get extra money out of consumers. The tricks don’t end at these places, either. Most stores bake bread in-house to lure customers toward the bakery. They change product locations so people have to walk around more to find things, which leads to more impulse purchases. Even sales aren’t what they seem anymore, with promotions applying only to certain products within the brand, or the classic yellow stickers advertising a “low price,” but not necessarily a sale. Clearly, it pays to be more vigilant while grocery shopping, even if we’re in a hurry. It’ll cost a little time, but it just might save us a lot of money at the register.