HappyTrails

Anyone else notice some new tactics while shopping at the grocery store?  Grocery stores are well known for many marketing tactics to tempt shoppers to buy a lot more than planned.  The highest profit producing products are normally set up within eye level and easy reach, and impulse buys at the checkout.

When my youngest son was little, it seemed items to tempt him were put at child’s eye level while he was sitting in the grocery cart seat, and within easy reaching distance of his little arms.  There were always more items in my cart than what I had placed in there myself.  The store did not make extra profit on me that way, they got to re-shelve the extra items that I missed being tossed in my cart.   The queen, er, I mean, German Gal, was definitely not amused.

A new tactic has now been added.  Most of us are bona fide coupon carrying shoppers with a list, and know what is on sale.  Obviously, it is time to try to thwart our plans.  Now, here is what I discovered.   New packaging — well, that does not sound so bad, does it?

Well, yes it does — and here are the subliminal messages I find:   Supposedly, if a manufacturer tones down the fancy packaging to look more like the plainer, less fancy packaging of store brand or generic items, shoppers might just pick the name brand over the store or generic brand product.  Since most people have to to do their shopping in a hurry or deal with fussy children, this leaves room for error.  And, if name brand looks more like the other lesser priced products, it will remain unnoticed until the grocery bill total has to be paid at checkout time, usually with no extra time to go back and get the right item.

Today is December 31, 2008 and I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!   Do not drink and drive, stay alive — and watch out for those grocery store prices!

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