TikTok User Points Out Tricks Supermarkets Use To Have Us Spend More Money

Kasia Mikolajczak
Woman in a supermarket aisle
Unsplash | Joshua Rawson-Harris

Have you noticed how prices in the supermarkets have skyrocketed lately? Apparently, that's the new trend, and it isn't going away any time soon, which is, of course, bad news for all of us. But don't fret. I'm here to the rescue, hehe.

I'm going to share with you some tips from a TikToker than can help you out on your next grocery store trip. So get ready to take a few notes. Let's go!

Essential Items Are Hidden On Purpose

TikTok video of a man in a grocery store
TikTok | @maxklymenko

OMG, what? Yes, that's right. The grocery store knows that most people are there to get their essentials and get the heck out, and that's why those items are the hardest to find. The longer you're in the store looking for them, the more chances you'll grab something you don't actually need. Aha!

The Fruits & Veggies Are At The Entrance

Man in a TikTok video
TikTok | TikTok | @maxklymenko

Have you ever wondered why that is? Well, I'm about to share this secret with you. Apparently, it's because they're bright and colorful, and looking at them puts people in a good mood. In turn, those happy folks will turn into happy customers who spend more money. It makes sense, no?

The Carts Have Gotten Huge

Man in a TikTok video
TikTok | @maxklymenko

So I'm not sure if you noticed that the sizes of those shopping carts have gone up. I mean, they're huge now. That's actually totally on purpose. The bigger the cart, the less it appears that you have inside of it. And as you have probably guessed, people just keep adding more stuff.

This Lighting Issue

man in a TikTok video
TikTok | @maxklymenko

Typically supermarkets have fewer windows, and those that are there are usually blocked off by some products. The lack of light makes you literally lose time, and you end up spending more of it shopping. Wow, I didn't realize that at all. It's like when they pump that oxygen in Vegas so you can keep gambling, ha, ha.

This Changing Layout Method

Man in a TikTok video in a supermarket
TikTok | @maxklymenko

Speaking of noticing things, have you ever gone to your local supermarket only to find out that stuff moved somewhere else? Oh, yeah. That's so irritating. Am I right? The idea behind this scheme is to confuse the customer and that way you'll spend more time looking for things and buy more stuff you don't need.

Staple Products Are Placed Far Away From Each Other

man in a TikTok video
TikTok | @maxklymenko

Why is it that you have to go to one end of the supermarket to get your eggs, and then you have to walk all the way to the other side to get your bread? Well, as you probably know by now, it's so you'll spend more time looking for stuff. The longer you're in the store, the more you'll end up spending. That's for sure.

The Fastest Check Out

man in a TikTok video in a grocery store
TikTok | TikTok | @maxklymenko

Let me ask you something: What do you think is faster — self-checkout or using the cashier? If you answered self-checkout, you would be wrong. It's actually faster to deal with a real person, but self-checkouts are placed near the exist on purpose. They give you the illusion that you'll check out faster. And of course, they save the supermarket money too. This is why I don't use them.

Why Are So Many Trolleys Broken?

man in a TikTok video
TikTok | @maxklymenko

Last but not least, why are so many trolleys always broken? Shouldn't they get the fixed ASAP? You would think so, no? Nah! The store rather keeps them that way, so you'll have a much harder time navigating through, and therefore spend more time shopping. Clever, huh?

Now that you know this will you shop differently?

Woman and man in a car
Giphy | CBS

I admit I've already guessed a few of these, but it doesn't hurt to get validation, huh? I'm definitely going to be more conscious of how I do my groceries. And one other piece of advice I can give you is to never go grocery shopping while hungry. You'll end up buying everything in sight, ha, ha, including chips and other snacks. Been there, done that.

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