Note: The following article was written by Roselt Thavarobert 9F
People go to local shops for a quick snack. But have you ever gone to the supermarkets for one item and left with a full basket? Supermarkets are designed to make us want to buy more than we came for, using clever psychological tricks to manipulate your decisions and empty your wallet.
The .99p illusion
Have you ever wondered why almost every item ends in a ninety-nine pence? In psychology, this is called the “Last digit effect”. As our brain reads text from left to right, we process the first number faster than the rest. An item that is priced at £9.99 feels a lot cheaper than £10 even though it is only one pence difference. By doing this trick, supermarkets trick you into thinking that you got a very good deal.
The hidden essentials
The items that we need the most in our day-to-day lives like milk, bread, eggs and water are all near the back of the supermarket. Now you may think that this isn’t a trick but it is. Supermarkets design their stores like mazes. They make you walk along many aisles filled with tempting crisps, chocolate and more to reach the items that you actually need. The more you walk through these aisles the more you would want to buy the mouth-watering items on the shelves.
The loyalty card price trap
If you look closely at the shelves in supermarkets now, you will notice that there are two completely different price tags. One is a really high price while the other is a much lower price which you can access via the loyalty card. This is a very intelligent psychological trick. By increasing the normal price, the supermarkets make the loyalty card prices look like an unbelievable discount. This trick manipulates you into buying items that you don’t even want as your brain hates the fact that you're missing out on a deal.
The casino effect
When you go into any supermarket, you will see that there aren’t any windows or clocks. This is a psychological trick taken from casinos. By cutting off your view of the outside world and hiding the time, the supermarket makes you forget how long you have been shopping. Without this, you lose track of time and you slow down your shopping pace and browse for much longer than you intended, which leads to more items in your basket.
Trap when waiting to pay
Even when you think you have escaped all of these devious tricks when you go to checkout, the traps don’t stop. The checkout lanes are made to be slow and narrow, forcing you to stand still for several minutes. While you wait you are surrounded by brightly coloured items like chewing gum, chocolate bars and drinks within arm’s reach.. This trap is perfect for people who just want a sugary treat for themselves or are just super tired or thirsty wanting a small drink.
Conclusion
Overall, supermarkets aren’t just shops; they are intricately designed to make people spend the most money possible. By learning all of these traps, you can outsmart the system. The next time you walk into those sliding doors, don’t let any of these masterful traps fool you.
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