The inside scoop on how supermarkets work

The inside scoop on how supermarkets work
Getty Images

Food experts, industry analysts and store employees share their insider strategies on how to save money on groceries, stay healthy and beat the supermarkets at their own game.

We’re very aware of the role that the senses play in marketing

We’re very aware of the role that the senses play in marketing
Shutterstock

When you walk in the door, you smell bread baking or rotisserie chicken roasting in the deli area because we know those smells get your salivary glands working. When you’re salivating, you’re a much less disciplined shopper. —Paco Underhill, consumer expert and author of What Women Want: The Science of Female Shopping

It’s no accident that shopping carts are getting bigger

It’s no accident that shopping carts are getting bigger
Getty Images

We doubled their size as a test, and customers bought 19 percent more. —Martin Lindstrom, marketing consultant and author of Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy

Spend less at the supermarket with these smart tips savvy shoppers use. 

The more people buy, the more they consume

The more people buy, the more they consume
Shutterstock

If you used to buy a six-pack of soft drinks and drink six cans a week but now buy a 12-pack because that’s the current standard size, you’re probably going to start drinking 12 cans a week. Be mindful when buying larger sizes to make sure your habits don’t change as a result. —Jeff Weidauer, former supermarket executive and vice president of marketing for Vestcom, a retail services company

Here are 12 things that happen to your body when you stop drinking fizzy drinks.

The average consumer tends to remember the price of only four items

The average consumer tends to remember the price of only four items
Getty Images

Milk, bread, bananas and eggs. Ninety-five percent of shoppers have no idea what all the other items cost and don’t know if they’re getting a good deal when they buy them. —Martin Lindstrom

The produce department is at the front of the store because…

The produce department is at the front of the store because…
Getty Images

…its bright colours put you in a good mood and inspire you to buy more. That’s why I recommend that you start shopping in the middle of the store, with its bland boxes and cans. —Phil Lempert, grocery industry expert and editor of supermarketguru.com

Here are 8 clear signs you’re not eating enough fruit and vegetables. 

Over 60 percent of shoppers off-load products as they check out

Over 60 percent of shoppers off-load products as they check out
Shutterstock

So supermarkets started making checkout lanes narrower, with less shelf space, which means it’s harder to ditch goods at the last minute. —Martin Lindstrom

Here are 13 rude things you need to stop doing at the supermarket. 

We let you linger … and it’s good for business

We let you linger … and it’s good for business
Shutterstock

Customers would tell me as they went through the checkout, “I just stopped in to get eggs,” and they would have $250 worth of stuff. —Jason Swett, former bagger and cashier at a grocery store in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Here are 5 tips to help you cut down on food waste. 

To save money, wear headphones and listen to upbeat music as you shop

To save money, wear headphones and listen to upbeat music as you shop
Shutterstock

Many stores play music with a rhythm that’s much slower than the average heartbeat, which makes you spend more time in the store – and buy 29 percent more. —Martin Lindstrom

Supermarkets aren’t out to steal from you

Supermarkets aren’t out to steal from you
Getty Images

The average supermarket makes about 1.5 percent net profit a year. To give you some idea of how low that is, the profit margin for clothing stores can be several times that. —Phil Lempert

Stop buying these things and save a ton of money. 

In my experience, food safety is the biggest priority…

In my experience, food safety is the biggest priority…
Shutterstock

…especially when it comes to produce. Employees were required to sterilize cutting boards every four hours; they had to fill out a cleaning log each time the boards were washed. Some employees would try to get out of doing the dirty work, so it was my job to pop into the department throughout the day and check the log. —Linda King, former store and department manager

These are 50 of the unhealthiest foods at the supermarket. 

Most grocery stores have a budget for supporting local causes…

Most grocery stores have a budget for supporting local causes…
Shutterstock

…and are interested in being a part of the community. So if your school is having a fund-raiser, don’t forget to talk to your nearby store. —Jeff Weidauer

People believe milk is located in the back of the store…

People believe milk is located in the back of the store…
Getty Images

…so that they have to walk through the aisles to get to it. But the real reason is simple logistics. Milk needs to be refrigerated right away; the trucks unload in the back, so the fridges are there so that we can fill the cases as quickly and easily as possible. —Jeff Weidauer

About 80 percent of what shoppers buy, they buy every week

About 80 percent of what shoppers buy, they buy every week
Getty Images

Keep your receipt, which shows the item and the price you last paid, so you can tell when something is on sale. That’s when you should stock up. —Phil Lempert

Some of the same cheeses displayed behind the deli counter…

Some of the same cheeses displayed behind the deli counter…
Shutterstock

…are available in the dairy case. The packaging isn’t as fancy, but they’re much cheaper. —Phil Lempert

These six money hacks will save you a fortune off your next grocery bill. 

The mist that’s sprayed on your fruits and veggies…

The mist that’s sprayed on your fruits and veggies…
Shutterstock

…may make them look fresh, but it can make them rot faster. The water also adds to an item’s weight, so make sure you shake off leafy greens. —Martin Lindstrom

In a supermarket, a good sale is anything that’s half price

In a supermarket, a good sale is anything that’s half price
Shutterstock

“Buy one, get the second one 50 percent off” discounts are not good sales—that’s only 25 percent off each. Almost everything is reduced to 50 percent at some point. —Teri Gault

Here are 9 mindful shopping tips that will save you money and make you happier. 

The store I worked at would make some of its sales very specific…

The store I worked at would make some of its sales very specific…
Shutterstock

…and, in my opinion, very deceptive. For example, it would offer 50 percent off a 250g package of deli ham and put the sign right between the 250g packages and the 500g ones. Shoppers would wind up grabbing the wrong one and paying full price. —Jason Swett

Customers think that when they buy in bulk, they end up with a better deal

Customers think that when they buy in bulk, they end up with a better deal
Shutterstock

But that’s not always the case. In the produce department, individual peppers are almost always cheaper than those in the multi-packs, and loose avocados are usually cheaper than the ones grouped in mesh bags. —Teri Gault

Do not assume…

Do not assume…
Shutterstock

…that if something is displayed at the end of an aisle, it is a good deal. Often, it’s not. Those endcaps are sold specifically to companies trying to promote a product. —Paco Underhill

Just because something is advertised in your grocery store catalogue…

Just because something is advertised in your grocery store catalogue…
Shutterstock

…doesn’t mean it’s on sale. There’s a whole lot in there that’s full price. —Teri Gault

At the fresh seafood counter…

At the fresh seafood counter…
Shutterstock

…most products are labelled previously frozen in small type. Those same products are probably for sale in the frozen-food case for 40 percent less. Not only that, but you won’t have to use them right away, since they haven’t been thawed out. —Phil Lempert

I’ve tasted every item in our deli case…

I’ve tasted every item in our deli case…
Shutterstock

…and there’s very little difference between what’s been pre-packaged and what we slice fresh. A lot of times, it’s the exact same product. But you’re paying a lot more for the same product just to have us slice it for you. —Bradley McHugh

These 20 food facts will change how you eat. 

When you buy fresh bread…

When you buy fresh bread…
Shutterstock

…we give it to you in a brown paper bag. Why? Because the bread may go stale faster, sending you back to the store to buy more. A quick fix: Place loaves in airtight plastic bags as soon as you get home. —Lindsay Smith

If you see something in the bakery…

If you see something in the bakery…
Shutterstock

…or meat department that will expire the next day, say, “Hey, this is expiring tomorrow. Are you going to mark it down?” A lot of times, they’ll mark it down for you right then. You’re really doing them a favour, since they have to unload it anyway. —Teri Gault

If you can, shop when the store is not busy

If you can, shop when the store is not busy
Getty Images

Studies show that most consumers buy more when the store is crowded because they subconsciously want to be part of the group. Mondays and Tuesdays are the best days to shop. Whatever you do, avoid weekends. —Phil Lempert

It’s almost always cheaper to buy a large cut and have us trim it for you

It’s almost always cheaper to buy a large cut and have us trim it for you
Shutterstock

We can cut a chuck roast into stew cubes, a whole boneless strip loin into New York strip steaks, or a flank steak into stir-fry strips. We’ve had people buy one big roast and have us remove the bone for soup, run half of it through the grinder for hamburgers, and cut the rest into a pot roast. That can save you about 30 percent compared with buying everything cut. —Bradley McHugh

Just because a cut of meat is labelled Angus doesn’t mean it’s going to be a great steak

Just because a cut of meat is labelled Angus doesn’t mean it’s going to be a great steak
Shutterstock

What you really want to check is its quality grade. Prime is the best, then choice (usually the highest grade available in grocery stores), followed by select, and finally standard. —Kari Underly, former grocery store meat cutter and author of The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional’s Guide to Butchering and Merchandising

Find out when your butcher marks down meat

Find out when your butcher marks down meat
Shutterstock

At most stores, it’s between eight and ten in the morning. —Teri Gault

If you’re worried about what’s in your ground meat…

If you’re worried about what’s in your ground meat…
Getty Images

…buy a piece of roast when it’s on sale and have your butcher grind it up for you in-store. —Kari Underly

When you buy prepackaged ground meat in one of those tubes or foam containers…

When you buy prepackaged ground meat in one of those tubes or foam containers…
Shutterstock

…it may have come from hundreds of cows. If just one of those cows had E. coli on its hide, it’s now in your hamburger. If you ask a grocery store meat cutter to grind your hamburger in the store, it’s coming from just one cow. There’s still a risk of contamination, but it’s a much lower one. —Bill Marler, food-safety advocate

Everyone handles the produce

Everyone handles the produce
Shutterstock

I’ve seen customers drop something, pick it up, and put it back on the shelf. I’ve seen kids take a bite and put the item back. It took me a long time to start eating fresh fruits and vegetables again after working in a store. —Aimee Brittain

The carts never get cleaned

The carts never get cleaned
Shutterstock

I’ve seen babies soiling carts and carts with chicken juice leaking on them. That’s why I give them a once-over with my own sanitising wipes. —Aimee Brittain

You can't win at bagging

You can't win at bagging
Shutterstock

If you put a loaf of bread in a bag by itself, some people get mad because they want it with their other groceries. But other customers get mad if you don’t put the bread in a separate bag. —Jason Swett

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: