|
5. They Know We Suck At Math I always found it redundant for supermarkets to allow customers to choose between bagging loose fruits and grabbing packaged fruit straight from the shelves. You guys think that they’re being nice and giving ya’ll options, but again, it’s all just an illusion of choice. The former are priced by the kilogram, or hundred-grams, while the latter is priced by the item. Which is cheaper? Your guess is as good as mine. Case Study: NTUC Xtra at Ang Mo Kio Hub sells five Sunkist Navel Oranges at $3.95, but $1.95 for a pack of 3, with the only notable difference being that the former is from the United States while the latter are from Egypt. The ones from the US are labeled as “L” while the ones from Egypt are labeled as “XL”, even tho they both look and weigh the same in my hands. 6. Are You Sure There’s A Discount?Many of us buy things on impulse simply because they’re supposedly cheaper. It doesn’t matter if we don’t need them; most people will just succumb to the temptation of discounts because that’s how the culture of almost every society is like. As a result, we’ve become accustomed and seemingly programmed to spot these sales labels. We want to save our hard earned cash and get the best deals, which is precisely what the supermarkets want you to think they’re offering. Do you remember the time when you went into a supermarket and saw signs and large price labels saying that two bottles of shampoo are going at $12, or that three cans of cookies are going at $18 etc. How many of ya’ll thought that that was a discount? Because if you think really hard about it, how can you be sure that thatwas a discount? I know, slowly recall your experiences and let that feeling of being outsmarted sink in. By simply using larger price labels on the racks, retailers are able to exploit our tendency to associate prominently displayed prices with sales and discounts and make us buy more, or even worse, buy things we don’t need, even though the prices advertised are very much everyday prices. The reason supermarkets use a multiple-item pricing model is because they get to clear their stock at a faster rate. They appeal to the misguided side of your brain and make you think that buying two or more of the same item translates into a better deal, when in fact, you can just, more often than not, buy only one to get the advertised pricing (i.e. one bottle of shampoo for $6, instead of two for $12, and one can of cookies for $6, instead of three for $18). And you guys are complaining about Jover Chew. Case Study: This is a li’ll tricky, because while you can’t be sure whether it’s a discount, you also can’t be sure if it is indeed a discount. Throughout all three supermarkets, there were signs saying “Special Discount” or “This Store’s Special” or “Great Savings” etc. The prices advertised could very well be everyday prices, but we’ll never know. It is interesting to note that I stumbled upon a large “Big Savings, Great Value” sign at the canned soup section of Giant. It advertised the Cream of Mushroom for $1.65 on the fancy label, but right beside it is an ordinary label claiming the same price, which again proves that it doesn’t matter if there’s a deal or not. We’ll end up being inclined to purchase goods with prices are displayed in a more unique way. 7. Again, You Think You’re So Damn SmartDo you think apple pies/cakes/frozen pastries and ice cream are placed together only because they all need to be stored in a fridge? Yea right. We like to think that we’re in control of our actions and that nothing is influencing our decision-making, which is why supermarkets love to pair foods for us. And it’s proven to be damn effective. Tail a family on their grocery run, and you’ll be surprised at how many items they end up buying are just side by side to each other. 8. There’s A Reason We’re Moving In An Anti-Clockwise FashionIf you haven’t realized yet, the entrances of most supermarkets are on the right side, the checkout counter on the left. What’s the significance of that? Since you’re moving from right to left, you’re naturally more likely to snap up things from the right hand aisles, where the more expensive items are placed. According to a supermarket psychology discussion with ABC Radio Canberra, counter-clockwise shoppers spend, on average, two dollars more per trip then clockwise shoppers, and while two solitary dollars might not seem much on its own, tens and thousands of shoppers throng into these stores everyday. Some might argue, wouldn’t the orientation change if we face the other direction? If I’m facing the checkout counter, my right will be different from someone who is facing the back wall for instance. Well, GPS trackers attached to trolleys show that people tend to travel in select aisles, and rarely in a systematic up and down pattern. Most of us don’t fully penetrate the entire length of the lane but instead pull out before heading to the next lane. Some of you are laughing at the last sentence right now aren’t you you dirty minded creatures. Case Study: So far, I’ve only been to one supermarket in the duration of my existence (Giant, Woodlands Mart) where the entrance is at the left. 9. Product PositioningIt goes without saying that the most expensive items or products from renowned brands are positioned at eye level. Groceries are something that, for many, evolves into a chore over time, and most people are looking to get out of the supermarket as soon as possible. Most will end up purchasing one of the first few options they’re presented with, without looking at the bottom or the top. The cereal aisle is a good example of smart product positioning, The expensive ones, the branded ones, are usually located at around eye level, while those sold in bulk are at the bottom, and the healthy ones on top. It’s easier to tip toe than to potentially embarrass yourself squatting (and it’s quite tiring if you keep squatting throughout your trip), which is something supermarkets are banking on to ‘persuade’ customers to forgo the cheaper options and go for the mainstream brands that everyone are talking about. In addition, the priciest goods are usually placed at the end of the aisles, taking advantage of people who are in a rush, while items meant to appeal to children are positioned at their eye level. Case Study #1: Aisle 17 of Ang Mo Kio’s NTUC Xtra is home to the cereal section. A quick look would show that the healthier options, like Kellog’s Special K, are placed in higher positions, while the ‘econo’ bulk packs are laid in the lowest racks. ‘Hipster’ snacks like granola snacks packed in milk cartons are placed at the top, appealing to the more affluent teenage population who are obsessed with Instagram. Cartoon selections (i.e. cereal with cartoon characters) are indeed placed at the eye level of children, which generally means the second or third rack from the bottom. The outermost sections of the cereal racks feature prices up to $9.30 per box, while the center only contain cereals within the price range of $3-$6.50. The eye level cereal falls within the $4.50-$6.40 range while the bottom cereal costs, on average, only $3.95. The lower levels tend to feature bulk packs as well, so while it may appear that the whole section is priced evenly from the bottom to the top, the truth is that there’s generally more cereal for the same price when we’re talking about the bottom areas. Case Study #2: The pack-of-three-cans Campbell soups are at the bottom-most rack, while newer and more contemporary options like New England Clam Chowder with more fancy typography and graphic design along with a bigger can, are placed at eye level. The price difference should be pretty obvious. Case Study #3: Instant Noodles from lesser known brands are placed below, while more renowned ones like Nissin and Nong Shim, which usually cost at least fifty cents more, are placed at eye level. Case Study #4: Cold Storage placed almost all their pack-of-six soft drinks at the bottom most shelf, choosing to place the more profitable bottled versions at eye level. Case Study #5: While both jams are of equal pricing, the one with a less recognizable name, unsurprisingly placed below, has more content. Case Study #6: Household names like Marigold have their yogurts placed at eye level while the more atas-sounding ones are housed below. You skip to the confectionery section where you’re greeted by the sounds of children laughing, which means you can’t help but buy a treat for the kids. Martine Alpins And, believe it or not, there’s also another reason items appealing to children are placed at their eye level. Not only will their parents be more tempted to purchase them when their kid asks for them, the joy and laughter of the children when they get what they want entices unsuspecting passing adults to stop and purchase the goodies as well, especially in the candy section. Also, The niche items and category of products remain visible but are usually situated in a remote corner as its users are willing to make an effort to find them. Finally, it’s common practice for these stores to ‘zoom’ the buyers’ attention into the center. For important items like coffee, shampoo, common hair products, and even toothbrushes where there’s emotional investment involved (people care deeply about what kind of coffee they drink, what kind of shampoo they use, the type of hair products they apply etc.), they’re placed at the center of the lane so they can slowly think and not block the entrances of the aisle.  [size=0.75]Where the coffee and tea are usually placed.
10. Product PlacementYou may notice that there are always products from renowned brands being placed on endcap displays at the end of an aisle. It’s a way for the supermarket to tell you that they’re important, and while you might think that these ‘real estate’ are randomly assigned by the staff, big companies pay huge amount of money to have them situated at these prime positions through payments more specifically known as ‘slotting fees’. The exact amount will never be disclosed, but these fees can chalk up to over million dollars, providing an alternative source of income for supermarket chains. So next time when you’re shopping and you happen to chance upon one of those displays, remember that it’s not because they are necessarily relevant to you and other buyers, but it’s rather a case of paying-to-be-there. 11. Promoters Serve An Important Purpose For The Supermarket
Many a times on your shopping trips, you’re offered free food samples by various promoters, frequently meeting several before the checkout counter. While they’re there to promote the brand they’re selling, they actually play a crucial part in ensuring the customers stay as long as possible in the shop. While exposing you to new products, they also slow you down, which, as mentioned multiple times previously, results in more sales. And it does not only apply solely for food, but for product demonstrations as well, which will always attract crowds all day every day. There’s also the concept of reciprocity in play. Reciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions. As a social construct, reciprocity means that in response to friendly actions, people are frequently much nicer and much more cooperative than predicted by the self-interest model; conversely, in response to hostile actions they are frequently much more nasty and even brutal. It’s hard to say no to someone who had just offered you something free ain’t it? More so if they keep bombarding you with the benefits of something you have absolutely no intention of buying when you step foot into the place. You can stand there like an awkward turtle trying to find a polite way to get out of the mess you suddenly find yourself in while everyone around you is staring at you, or you can pick up the product and move on with your trip, without worrying about negative judgement from total strangers. Many will choose the latter, unfortunately. 12. The Essentials Are Spread So Far Away From Each OtherBread, eggs, and milk are three of the most common items on everyone’s shopping list, and they all happen to be located very far apart each other to maximise the ‘surface area’ shoppers cover during their trip. Supermarkets usually position dairy products against the back wall, sometimes pretty well hidden among the massive array of goods, in order to force shoppers to walk through the entire store to get them. And surprise surprise, you’re probably going to pick up other unnecessary things along the way. At least that’s what many observers think. Another perspective given by Jeff Weidauer, a former supermarket executive, is that: [size=0.9375]Milk needs to be refrigerated right away; the trucks unload in the back, so the fridges are there so that we can fill the cases as quickly and easily as possible.
It doesn’t only work for people who have multiple items on their shopping list, but also for people with just one. You see, no matter what you want to buy, you have to at least cover the perimeter of the entire store before you end up with the item you came for and the checkout counter. And chances are you’ll eventually end up with slightly more than what you came in for. Even if you’re disciplined enough to not give in to temptation, you’ll still be exposed to a plethora of brands and products, which means that the next time you decide to come back on an empty stomach… Case Study: Through some quick observation, I noted that two of out of the three items are located within a few metres from each other, but the remaining item is always housed quite some distance away. Either that or all three items are placed in proximity of one another but placed all the way at the other end of the supermarket collectively. I decided to see how long it’ll take me to grab these three items (bread, milk, and eggs) in each of the three supermarkets I visited. It took me two minutes and five seconds in Cold Storage, five minutes and 18 seconds at NTUC Xtra, and nearly eight whole minutes to locate just the eggs and milk at Giant. I gave up looking for the bread after 12 mins of uneventful searching. 13. Placed Against White / Lighting [size=0.75]Getty Images / Dag Sundberg
How do you know you’ve reached the fish/poultry section?
| 
Post time 8-1-2015 12:24 AM
变色卡
Author
