In today’s cash-strapped economy, it makes sense to become as savvy as possible about managing your personal finances. That goes for taking responsibility for what you spend and save and also becoming aware of the strong forces that are in play every time you go into a supermarket!
The fact is, as a consumer, you are constantly bombarded by the forces of marketing and advertising. Most of us have gone into a particular supermarket in response to something we’ve seen in the media, on an outdoor advertising board, or become aware of via a different marketing channel.
Once we enter the supermarket, the real psychology kicks in. Everything, from the minute we park up at the store, to when we leave with our bags, is designed to encourage us to part with as much of our cash as possible.
Retail psychologists are employed by supermarkets to analyse every aspect of the shopper’s experience, to understand their feelings, motivations and attitudes towards purchasing and gently manipulate variable environmental factors to encourage that purchase decision.
Firstly, the supermarket will be designed to make you linger. It won’t be logically laid out and products will frequently change around to force you to hunt them out and possibly spot new products to become tempted by instead.
In-store demonstrations are an example where supermarkets encourage shoppers to linger and engage with new products, to see examples, demos and tastings and pick up a new product in the process.
Shops place their most profitable items on the shelves where a customer’s eye naturally falls, so value ranges will tend to be on the bottom shelf where they are trickier to reach. You’ll need to reach or bend to get the best deals!
Supermarkets also know to assault the shopper’s senses as they go in to create a pleasant experience designed to help them spend. This will range from the smell of fresh bread wafted through the store, to the colourful displays, soft music and comfortable temperature. Free samples might be given out, to allow the shopper to taste or experience a small part of the product and decide to buy it.
Surprising additions are other ways that supermarkets engage customers by eliciting a response of joyful surprise, such as finding a new product line or interesting new product category.
This is one reason why supermarkets extended so widely into complementary and lifestyle lines such as clothing, home wares, electronics and more.
Good customer service is a genuine way in which stores will try to encourage customer loyalty. By offering friendly and helpful staff and till packers, the customer associates the shopping experience with speed, friendliness and convenience.
The store may also delay the customer more as they are paying. Whilst waiting in a queue there will usually be other lines to look at whilst lingering, such as magazines, sweets and personal items. These will frequently be picked up as an impulse buy.
At the purchase point, the customer service agent may prompt additional sales, such as signing a customer up to a reward scheme, mentioning a finance product or offering extras such as stamps.
Even after the sale is made, staff may be on hand to delay the customer with vouchers and other promotions for a return visit.
Certainly, the psychology behind shopping is very powerful and most customers are manipulated into buying what supermarkets want them to. This can lead to overspending which, in turn, may mean that you need to take out a loan to cover your payments, click here for more information on loans and interest rates.
However, if you make sure you go shopping armed with knowledge and a clear list, (and not necessarily a credit card) you can avoid becoming one of the over-spending masses!
