Tactics supermarkets use to make you spend more money

A lot of the tricks supermarkets use is to get you to spend money, by putting you in a good mood, forcing you to make choices and keeping you in store for longer.

It’s not a secret that your weekly shop has become more expensive, thanks to everything from the Ukraine war to east coast floods.

But there could be other tactics seeing your grocery bill spike.

A TikTok account called @therecount, typically known for posting US political content, has revealed the ways supermarkets try to keep you in store longer to encourage you to spend more money.

In two parts, the videos show 27 different tactics employed by supermarkets to encourage you to open your wallet.

And while it is based on US supermarkets, many of the tricks are also applicable in Australian grocery stores.

Most of the tactics outlined in the clips focus on putting customers in a good mood.

A TikTok user has revealed the tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend money. Picture: TikTok/therecount

For instance, they put fresh food products at the start of the store as they are always bright, look good and smell tasty.

“Also, supermarkets know if you pick up something healthy at the start of the trip, odds are you will reward yourself later with something unhealthy,” the TikTok user said.

The technique is called “implicit priming” and it is when stores put certain things up front to change your reaction to what you see inside the store.

She said another reason supermarkets put produce so early in the store is to force customers to make a lot of decisions – between organic, pre-packaged vegetables and weights of what they are buying.

Putting fresh food products at the start of the store as they are always bright, look and smell good

This creates decision fatigue, making you more likely to impulse buy later on.

Right after the start of the store, there will then be things like barbecue chooks, pre-made meals, cheeses and dips.

It’s another attempt to harness your reward system following purchasing fresh, healthy produce, the TikToker claimed.

Another hack is putting fresh flowers at the front of the store as the bright colours create positive feelings.

The woman also revealed that shopping trolleys have grown in size over the years in order to encourage customers to buy more.

In Australia, Coles, Woolworths and now Aldi have smaller trolley options.

“No matter how big they are, customers will always fill them up,” she said.

In Australia, there has been pushback to large trolleys, with Aldi having recently introduced smaller trolleys following complaints from the public.

Supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths have generally offered two sizes of trolleys for customers.

Seasonal items such as Easter eggs and Christmas treats are also positioned by supermarkets at the front of the store so that when you see them again, you’re more likely to purchase them later on.

It is the same ideology behind aisle end caps, as well as where drinks, magazines and chocolates are placed.

Most supermarkets also don’t have windows or clocks, except at the entrance to the store. It’s the same tactic used by casinos – it puts customers into a time warp.

Soothing music adds to the timelessness to create an air of relaxation.

And another hack supermarkets use is food grouping – associated items such as spaghetti and pasta sauce are displayed next to each other, but everyday items such as milk, eggs and bread are in different sections of the store.