"Forget about being world-famous, it's hard enough just getting the automatic doors at the supermarket to acknowledge our existence.”

-Doug Coupland

I was in an unusually long line in the supermarket the other day when I started to look around and wonder. How much of what is in my cart is influenced by the social psychologists paid to get me to do just that, buy more stuff?

We’ve all heard theories of supermarkets having Vegas-like interiors (no clocks, windows, etc.) and placing more expensive items at eye level to increase profits but how many of these Jedi mind tricks are actually true? Margins in the typical grocery store are razor-thin at about 2.2% so every additional thing we buy likely makes a difference on their bottom line….right?

I worked as a produce boy at the ACME at the Jersey shore for multiple summers (don’t mean to brag) but supermarket psychology wasn’t a topic covered in the orientation. Today I’ll dive into the research and the numbers to see if our behaviors and purchasing decisions are truly hijacked on that weekly supermarket trip.

8 Psychological Supermarket Mind Tricks

1. Produce At The Entrance

The placement of the produce section at the front of the supermarket is a deliberate design decision that exploits the cognitive bias known as the "primacy effect." This effect describes the tendency of people to remember and prioritize information that they encounter first. Think: bright, colorful, and open. This visually appealing greeting further caters to our evolutionary preference for natural colors and unobstructed views (no tall shelves to block our view) that elicit a sense of calm and comfort.

Having produce at the front indirectly allows you to indulge in a “treat yo’self” mentality. Once your cart is brimming with colorful produce you’ve subconsciously put an X through the “healthy choices” checkbox which means you’re more likely to reward yourself with unhealthy options.

2. Separating The Essentials

The practice of separating "the essentials" in a supermarket is a strategic design decision that plays on the cognitive bias of loss aversion. Loss aversion refers to the tendency of people to feel a greater sense of loss when something is taken away from them, compared to the pleasure they feel when they gain something of equal value.

By separating essential items like bread, milk, and eggs from the rest of the store, shoppers are compelled to navigate through the entire store to find the items they need. This increases the chances that they will see other products and make additional purchases, which benefits the supermarket's bottom line.

Additionally, the perception of scarcity created by the separation of essential items can make shoppers feel a sense of urgency and prompt them to purchase more than they initially intended. Overall, the separation of essential items is a deliberate design strategy that plays on shoppers' psychological biases to maximize sales.

3. Eye Level Placement

Eye level placement is crucial in supermarkets as it can greatly influence consumer purchasing decisions. Research has shown that products placed at eye level are more likely to be noticed and purchased by shoppers. Eye level placement is often used for premium or high-profit items, as they’re more likely to catch the attention of shoppers and influence their decision-making.

The supermarket shelf is typically divided into four tiers: stoop level (0-3 feet), touch level (3-4 feet), eye level (4-6 feet), and reach level (6+ feet). Supermarkets know full well that “eye level is buy level” and they have companies pay premium profits for it. According to MobileInsight, “brands and manufacturers are often willing to devote up to 50% of their promotional budgets on securing featured display space, including eye level shelf placement.”

4. Lost Sense Of Time

The lack of windows and clocks in supermarkets is a deliberate design choice that can influence consumer behavior and increase sales. Without windows or clocks, shoppers lose track of time and may spend more time in the store than they intended which may mean more impulse buys.

Beyond that, the grocers want the shopper to have an immersive experience where they aren’t thinking about the weather, whether the sun is fading, or about the chaos in the parking lot. Minimizing these distractions allows the shopper to focus on the task at hand which lends itself to more purchasing power.

But there are also some practical reasons you won’t see many windows: less sun to degrade food and packaging, windows may mean less opportunity to put shelves against the wall, and, well, windows are expensive.

5. The Endcap Displays

Endcaps are the displays located at the end of the aisles. These use cognitive heuristics to influence shoppers' purchasing decisions. For example, by presenting visually striking displays, retailers can activate the availability heuristic, making shoppers perceive the products on offer as more popular or of higher quality than other products in the store. One survey “showed that 44% of the participants remember fixating on the end caps and that almost half of the grocery stores were dominated by end cap displays.”

Additionally, prominently displayed sale prices can activate the anchoring heuristic, making shoppers perceive the regular price of the product as higher and the sale price as a better deal. Endcap displays can also trigger the availability cascade heuristic and the scarcity heuristic, making products seem more desirable and valuable.

6. The Shopping Cart

The design of shopping carts in supermarkets takes advantage of the cognitive heuristic of "anchoring and adjustment." This refers to the tendency of people to rely heavily on an initial piece of information (the "anchor") when making subsequent judgments or decisions.

The size of the shopping cart serves as the anchor, as shoppers may unconsciously adjust their purchasing decisions based on the amount of space in the cart. This can lead to the "shopping momentum" effect, where shoppers feel motivated to continue filling up their carts, potentially spending more than they intended.

7. Charm Pricing

It’s standard practice for the supermarket to use the “left-digit effect” when putting a value on a product. This is the psychological concept behind pricing strategies that end in .99 instead of a full dollar. Consumers tend to process prices from left to right, and the first digit they see has a greater impact on their perception of the price than the remaining digits.

By setting a price at $1.99 instead of $2.00, the left-digit effect makes the price appear significantly lower in the consumer's mind, even though the difference is just one cent. This tactic is known as "charm pricing” creates the perception of a better deal.

8. The Checkout Lane

The checkout lane is the final opportunity for supermarkets to influence consumers' behavior. According to the marketing research company, IRi, Americans spent $6 billion in checkout purchases alone in 2020 (over $5 billion was something edible).

A 2012 meta-analysis found that impulse buys, although not limited to the checkout lane, “can account for anywhere from 40% to 80% of purchases depending on product category.” Here are some other wild stats I can’t help but share from that meta-analysis:

• “…76% of all purchase decisions are made in the store…”

• “…Coca Cola has shown that impulse buying accounts for more than 50% of all grocery purchases.”

• “…the Millennial generation is 52% more likely to make an impulse purchase to pamper oneself than any other generation.”

Takeaway

Supermarkets use interesting tactics to cater to the inner hardware of our brains in order to get us to spend more money. Understanding the psychological tactics and intentions of the supermarket is important because it allows us to recognize the impact on our behavior and decision-making (i.e. buying control). Use this guide to make more informed purchasing decisions to eat healthier and spend less.

Related:

• Food Rules by Michael Pollan: 6 Takeaways

Want more? Here’s an infographic of supermarket consumer trends from USCDorrnsife.