Are you an astute grocery shopper?

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I’ve just read a very interesting article about how supermarkets arrange their stores and shelves to entice shoppers to spend more and to buy specific products. I’m sure we are all aware of some of the tricks so forgive me if I seem to be preaching to the converted. And these comments will not apply to all supermarkets. Firstly, when you enter a store, you go into a ‘decompression zone’. There might be floral displays along with a colourful array of fresh fruits and vegetables. There will be muted, slow to mid tempo music, bright lights, no windows and no clocks. This all helps relax the customer. If we’re feeling good, we’ll probably spend more time in the store and quite possibly more money. You might then choose your trolley. The bigger the trolley, the more you’re likely to buy. Some research has shown shoppers spend up to 40% more if they have a large trolley. Most supermarkets are designed to be slightly disorienting. The grid layout encourages people to walk up and down the store. The bread won’t be anywhere near the milk. Cereals are displayed at kids’ eye level, cheaper options from smaller manufacturers are placed higher and/or lower than similar store-brand items. High consumption of ultra-processed foods are cheap to make and sell well but lead to increased disease and obesity. And don’t trust products in the ‘health food aisle’. A product low in sugar is often high in fat or salt. Postcodes (zipcodes) influence the products stocked too. Shelf space allocated to unhealthy foods and drinks will be 9.7% higher in low socioeconomic areas. ‘End caps’ – those displays at the ends of the aisles - are prime real estate in the world of supermarkets. Eye-catching colours like red and yellow play their part. While waiting at the checkout, the consumer is again faced with temptation. One survey found that 78% of checkout shelf space was devoted to discretionary foods such as confectionary, magazines and soft drinks. Unhealthy food is often on promotion much more often and with big discounts. I will be even more aware in future about how my choices are being influenced by all these things. The photo is mine of grapes in a vineyard.