The sneaky tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more

THESE are the hidden marketing tricks in supermarkets which make shoppers gravitate towards certain products — and ultimately spend more.

HIDDEN marketing tricks in supermarkets make shoppers gravitate towards certain products.

A report released by the UK Groceries Code Adjudicator reveals supermarkets have brands paying for their products to be featured on visible shelf-spaces.

Companies spend millions to get their products displayed in prominent places in supermarkets.

Here are five of the sneakiest ways supermarkets control your shopping decisions ...

1. FLOWERS BY THE DOOR

Flowers by the door ... it’s no accident.

When shops place flowers by the door, they can activate your senses and make impulse buys more likely.

Phil Lempert, a grocery industry expert, believes that placing flowers and bright colours by the front immediately puts shoppers in a good mood.

The more at ease customers feel, the more likely they are to spend time getting their groceries.

2. ESSENTIALS HIDDEN AWAY

Ever have trouble finding eggs at the supermarket?

Dotting weekly staples in hard-to-reach zones of supermarkets forces shoppers to scan the entire store before picking up their regular items.

Mike Tesler, president of Retail-Concepts argues: “Stores typically put these items in the farthest reaches of the store to expose customers to the maximum amount of product on their ‘quick trip’ so they will impulsively buy other things.”

3. MUSIC

You may be surprised by the amount of thought that goes into a supermarket’s soundtrack.

Branding expert Martin Lindstrom believes supermarket sounds have a huge impact on the habits of shoppers.

He believes using a ‘rhythm that’s much slower than the average heartbeat’ will result in customers spending more time and money when shopping.

4. FLOORING

The layout of your supermarket is not something shoppers usually notice.

The layout of aisles encourages customers to move in a clockwise direction.

Research from a psychological paper, led by Andreas Konig, reveals that people will spend more when moving in a clockwise motion than they walking anticlockwise.

5. TARGETING KIDS

Children can make a trip to the supermarket more expensive.

Retail expert Mike Tesler reveals that products with kid appeal are placed on shelves at their eye-level so they can “reach out to a product”.

When children spot something they want on the shelves, they can easily sneak them into your basket without you realising.

Originally published as The sneaky tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more