How Supermarkets Lure You To Buy More

Knowing These Methods Can Help You Save Money, Says Susan Koeppen; One Key: Store Layouts

(CBS)  "Nothing happens by accident in a supermarket. Everything is designed to sell."

And that, says Consumer Reports retail expert Tod Marks, is the key thing to keep in mind as you go up and down the aisles of your local store. Knowing how to shop is vital.

Supermarkets "are in the real estate business," Marks pointed out to Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen Monday in the first of her three-part series, "Supermarket Secrets."

Koeppen is taking viewers inside grocery stores to save them money -- and time.

Supermarkets, she explained, "are set up very carefully, with the hope that you will spend lots of money, maybe even more than you planned to."

From sweets to meats, Koeppen added, supermarkets have plenty to tantalize the taste buds.

"It's a feast for your eyes as well as your senses," Marks observed to Koeppen as they checked out one store.

So, how do you navigate the aisles without breaking the bank?

Lesson 1: The Supermarket Flyer

The first thing to do when you go to the store is pick up the flyer.

"Absolutely," Marks says. "The flyer is indispensable. It's like your textbook for shopping."

The front page is where stores dangle their hottest specials which, Marks says, "are sold at or below cost just to get you into the store where, hopefully, you'll buy a few more profitable items!"

But just because something is featured in a flyer doesn't mean it's on sale.

"It may not mean it's a great deal at all," Marks says. "It may mean a manufacturer paid advertising dollars toward the mention of that product."

According to Consumer Reports, the mere mention of a product in a store flyer can send sales soaring as much as 500 percent.

Lesson 2: The End of the Aisle -- The "End Cap" -- Is the Single Hottest Selling Spot in the Entire Store

"When you put anything there," Marks says, "sales can go up as much as a third, simply by their placement on an end cap."

But be careful, Koeppen cautioned: Those items aren't always sale items. And it's a good idea to check their freshness dates.

"Because it's such a great selling spot," Marks says, "retailers may actually put something there from time-to-time that's nearing the end of its shelf life."

Lesson 3: Product Placement Is Key

"Prime selling space is right in the center, eye-level if you will," Marks says.

In fact, companies sometimes pay thousands of dollars to have their products placed on the center shelf. And, Koeppen continues, those items tend to be more expensive than the ones found high or low.

"The lower level and the high-on-top level, they're kind of the low-rent districts," Marks notes. "You put commodities there -- things that don't bring in a lot of profits that people are going to buy, no matter what."

Lesson 4: Convenience Will Cost You

How much more are we paying to have our stuff chopped up for us instead of cutting them up ourselves, Koeppen wondered.

"Prices vary all the time<" Marks pointed out, "but it's not a stretch to say that you can pay anywhere from two, 300 percent to 600 percent or more for the convenience of pre-cut, pre-shredded or pre-anything produce."

Koeppen noticed that a three pound bag of red apples was just a dollar a pound; hand-picking your own from a bin made them $1.50 a pound; but if you buy the apples already cut up, they're a whopping $5 a pound.

Lesson 5: Saving Money Is in the Bag

"Generally speaking," Marks says, "the better deal is almost always to be had when you buy the bag versus the loose produce."

Potatoes at that store were 50 cents a pound for a 5 pound bag, compared to one dollar a pound for loose potatoes.

That's twice the price. "Savings, again, can really add up buying that bagged produce," Marks says.

Another point: Grocers put milk and eggs in the back of the store because they want you to grab other items as you walk back to get them.

[blog_fever2]

GROCERY SHOPPING 101: (A)Take a list and do not deviate from it, (B) Eat before you go to the store; that will ensure you do not buy on impulse due to hunger (C) use sales ads from both that store and that competitor (most stores match/beat prices of competitors eventhough they do not advertise it) (D) Use coupons if available, (E) always double check your receipts for errors.

[sam-kiley]

coucou
j'ai adoré la prestation de susan koeppen, ce petit appareil est trés impressionnant, mais la question qui se pose est-il faible a 100% ...vivement qu'il arrive chez nous
ça nous rendra service..nous évitera la chaine.. devant la caisse, ..résultats des courses ...gain de temps &de sous-sous...bye..

[fooducate]

There are plenty of other tricks of the trade, both by supermarkets and food manufacturers, that help increase sales, and your waist diameter including:
- in store bakery with heavenly aromas
- ridiculous health claims on junk products
- membership cards that are actually "penalty if not used" cards
etc..

For objective, critical, and helpful analysis of products, grocers, as well as healthy shopping tips, check out www.fooducate.com/blog

[govwatch2]

Only buy what is on your list and then only the cheapest by weight, and write the price on the item and check it against what you are being charged at the check out. Leave your impulses at home.

[craftycandi]

While buying bagged, rather than loose, produce is essentially less expensive per pound, with only 2 people in the house, it behooves me to purchase loose. I have no waste that way.

The same is true for milk. Buying by the gallon is generally less expensive, but I end up throwing out half the gallon because it turns sour.

[denvermorgan3000]

Yes and dont forget to tell us they put the candy on the bottom shelf where our children can grab them so we buy them instead of fighting the children to put it back
and using food about to expire in the deli

[shockolit]

They also try to fool us oldies who were raised to assume the bigger sizes were the better bargain. Now if you look at the per unit price, that is no longer so. Often I learn more from these commentaries than I do from the featured article. Thanks, all y'all!

[jwind1]

stores didnt do this before Bush was president

[davcor2]

It's the reason my wife lets me do the grocery shopping . . . . . . . She's so compulsive that if she goes out for a loaf of bread, she'll usually come home with four bags of groceries we don't need. If I go for three items, I'll come home with three items. Finally, if you love shopping at Costco, do stop by the outdoor deli and grab a hotdog before you shop. It will end up cutting your final bill by at least 30%.

[WITHINMEANS]

It would have been really nice if you would have told us something we didn't already know. Posted by Baileyccc

Yes, something "NEW" in the new's report could have been enlightening.

[hsudul]

While the modern supermarket is convenient is also a warehouse of junk food. THe
cereal shelf is a disaster. Sugar! Sugar and high salt. What is funny slightly out of
the way are bulk goods. I was in Winco a week ago and 5 senior ladies were all waiting
to buy old fashioned oats at 42 cents a pound. When we finished the bin was nearly
empty. However on the other was 12 selections of cheap candy.
Then comes Hamburger Helper and flavored rice you pay a lot for something you already already have in your cupboards, But they heavy advertising keeps the big
companies popping out with new names but on the back you'll find the maker. Besides
no eating don't shop with children , you simply find it hard to concentrate and avoid
the junk stuff

It would have been really nice if you would have told us something we didn't already know. Posted by Baileyccc

[ikestarnes]

It's Bush's fault.

[presjfk]

You can shop for healthy food in any supermarket. You just need to use your head just as with any options in life.

[hamiltongrad]

Grocery Shopping Can Kill you ??


I only shop at Trader Joes. Straight forward good food, good prices, a community feel, of people who want to stay healthy.


And stay away from ANY food that has 1. Corn Syrup. 2. MSG - sometimes listed as "vegetable protein. " or "NATURAL FLAVORINGS" 3. Any artificial sweeteners. All these additives many people would say are not good for you in any way.

[johnsonx267]

Watch out for those store coupons. Our local store had a $ 3 off a gallon of milk, but when the coupon scanned, it actually CHARGED me $ 3 !!!
The next two weeks there were different coupons, but they all CHARGED, so watch the prices on the video monitor before you pay the final bill.

[buarneyfwank]

I especially like when the deli guy is interrupted from cleaning the floor or the bottom of the deli case, and then proceeds to bare hand the meat inside the case.