Many are already struggling to afford the food shop and it’s now been reported that food inflation has hit another record high. Shoppers are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the supermarket tactics that are used to encourage people to spend more.
Seasonal events are one of the main tactics used to get people to spend more on food items, they’re heavily promoted and often display deals which aren’t all so great. To help people be aware of what they’re putting into their trolley, consumer experts are providing advice on tactics to be cautious of causing the checkout price to be so high.
John Stirzaker, online consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “It’s alarming that food inflation has reached another record high, as it only seems to be on the up since early last year. But what’s worrying is that tactics to make people spend more are still happening in many supermarkets across the country.
“While we understand promotional deals are valuable to getting stock off the shelves, it’s not entirely fair on shoppers already struggling to afford their pricey food bill, especially if they aren’t getting the deal they thought they were getting.
“That’s why it’s important to look at the weight per item on all products, even if they’ve been reduced to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.”
Here are nine supermarket tricks to be wary of to help you stop, think and save money, from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk:
Promotional deals - look at weight per item
If the bigger bottle has been reduced, look at the weight per item to work out whether it’s worth it for the price. The larger item may be reduced, but it’s unlikely it’s any cheaper than the one below it. It tricks you into thinking you’re grabbing a bargain to cause you to splash on items unnecessarily.
Fruit and veg placed at the front of the store
Fruit and veg are often placed at the front of the supermarkets so naturally, we tend to shop here first. This means that we won’t feel guilty about all of the other unnecessary and unhealthy options we throw into our basket later.
Home furniture units on display
Indoor and outdoor furniture displays are done to entice people by showcasing what the furniture could look like in their homes and can often make us feel like we need to make a purchase there and then..But instead of paying full price, wait until the end of summer when items like BBQs can be reduced down to as little as £30 as they want to get rid of stock before the next season starts.
Front-door deals
Foods that are promoted at the front of the store will immediately catch your eye the moment you walk in. These are often multipack offers and whilst you may think you’re ending up with a bargain, you’re actually just ending up with a lot more product than you need. Keep focused and stick to your list.
Placing expensive items at eye level
More expensive and branded options of food are typically placed at eye level whilst cheaper alternatives will be on the lower shelves. Eye level is much more noticeable and supermarkets place more expensive products there in the hopes that customers will just buy them out of ease rather than searching for cheaper alternatives.
Seasonal deals
Whenever there’s a big event like Easter, Christmas or even the King’s Coronation, supermarkets jump on the trend to promote items to get people to spend more for the occasion. Sometimes there are deals to find if they’ve been reduced, but in most cases, it’s just moving items from one aisle to another so it’s displayed more clearly.
Checkout items
Items in display cases next to main till checkouts and the self-service area are a way of tempting you into buying something small as a treat to yourself. If you really needed the item, it would’ve been on the list and in your basket already.
Two for one deals
The most well-known deal in supermarkets has been a prime way to get people to spend more money. But what it does is cause people to spend unnecessarily otherwise they feel they’ve ‘lost out’ on a great deal. Unless the item on offer was on your shopping list in the first place then falling for this deal could be a complete waste of cash.
Meaty specials
As the BBQ season approaches, stores will be ramping up the promotions on meat to encourage you to spend more. However, some deals may cause you to buy more food than you need just because it looks like the price is cheaper, leaving you with a lot of food waste. Think about what you actually need and calculate how many you can feed based on price and weight.
