The psychology of buying

It is astonishing to note that wherever one goes to a supermarket, whether it be in Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Toronto, or any other place, all are very much alike. What is the explanation for the sameness?

Clearly, one reason is that supermarkets are parts of a national chain which compete not in style but price.  However, the principal factor is that the major consumer companies have become aware of how to persuade people to buy things, choosing the most lucrative layouts for a supermarket.

It takes some time to get into a shopping mode, particularly if one is coming in from bright sunlight outdoors. Managers are aware of that phenomenon, so they utilize the area immediately inside the entrance for some kind of promotion or advertising, rather than a place where a shopper-would be inclined to put an item in a shopping cart.

Fresh fruit and vegetable stands usually appear soon thereafter. That does not seem to make any sense as produce can be easily damaged, so they should be bought at the end, not the beginning of a shopping trip. Nevertheless, there is an overriding logic. A customer can see what produce is available and then be able to decide what tinned or frozen foods to purchase.

Most shoppers are likely to buy everyday items like milk or sundry drug-store articles such as soap or toothpaste. Those items invariably are placed towards the back of a store. Then shoppers have to walk along an aisle, perchance to see something that catches their eye, encouraging some impulse buying.  Butcher stands, too, are at the rear of a store, so again a shopper has to walk along a corridor passing, the manager hopes, some inviting products.

Popular items usually are placed halfway along an obscure section, so that people have to pause and look for them. Stores want to persuade people to spend more time in a store. While lingering there, they may think of something else to acquire. Customers often stand in an aisle, trying to decide what to buy, looking around for ideas.

Expensive brand products are arranged at eye level, while cheaper alternatives are moved down and are more difficult to reach. Shelf positioning has become crucial and companies fight for an ideal spot for their products. Some stores agree to put favoured goods at the end of shelves in attractive display containers.

Price obviously should be important, yet retailers frequently charge more per unit for a package of ten than for one containing, say three or four. Customers rarely take the time to calculate the price differential, the conversion rate, for the sake of convenience in buying in bulk.

Magazines, books and candy are at the checkout counter, so customers waiting in line may be tempted by a quirky headline or candy to sate hunger pains.

Shopping science has come a long way from the old corner store. National chains follow established patterns, but retailers constantly are looking for ways to innovate, making shopping a complicated expedition.

 

Bruce Whitestone

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