Are You Falling Victim to Supermarket Pricing Tricks?
May 28th, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized — Finance Author
It seems that supermarkets are pulling out all the stops when it comes to getting us to spend more than we need to when shopping for groceries.�
New supermarket tricks and traps seem to arise on a daily basis. One particularly clever way they have gotten us to spend more is through new sales pricing schemes:
2 for $3
Buy 2 get 1 free
5 for $7
3 for $4
Buy 5, get 2 free
Why have these new pricing schemes proliferated? Why is going to the supermarket like taking a 5th grade math test?�
Simply put, grocery stores want to make it difficult to determine if a sale price is a good deal or not. The more difficult it is to determine how much an individual item costs, the less likely we are to compare the sale price with the non-sale shelf price.�
Let’s say an item has the sale price of 5 for $7. (Notice that the pricing is seldom arranged where it is easy to calculate the single item price – i.e. �2 for $4, 3 for $6)
Few people mentally divide 7 by 5 to determine the individual price. If the normal price of the item is $1.50 you may not realize that you’re saving only ten cents per item with this sale. (5 for $7 = $1.40 per item)
For many, its simply easier to place the 5 items in their grocery cart hoping they got a good deal than calculate the individual price of the item. This is especially true after a long day when we are both physically and mentally tired.�
So how do you beat grocery stores and their supermarket pricing tricks? Simply purchase a small cheap calculator and put it in your purse. The next time you’re confronted with these pricing schemes simply calculate the individual sale item price and compare it to the regular price on the store shelf.
This way you can determine if you’re getting a good deal or just becoming another victim of ref=”http://www.paylessforfood.com/supermarket-pricing-tricks/why-supermarket-pricing-is-designed-to-test-you-mentally/”>supermarket pricing tricks
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Charlie Peters is a blogger at PayLessForFood.com where you can learn easy ways to dramatically cut your grocery bill.
3 Responses to “Are You Falling Victim to Supermarket Pricing Tricks?”
By Artie on Jun 2, 2009 | Reply
To avoid overspending at the grocery store:
1. make a list and stick to it
2. use cash. spending cash hurts so you spend less
3. don’t shop when you are hungry or you will spend more
By Kathryn Lang on Jun 3, 2009 | Reply
The local supermarket prices each item individual so that if it’s 10 for $10 you can get just one for a dollar. Plus they actually put the calculations of the prices on the products for you (like so much per ounce or pound). It definitely makes shopping easier!
By Maryann on Jun 3, 2009 | Reply
That’s a good point when you are budgeting. Sometimes I find that a sale is really not a sale. You just have to know your prices and carry a calculator. Also, some stores have “Loyalty Programs” that require you to get a club card. I personally don’t like it when chains like CVS requires me to sign up with them just to get the lower price. If anyone can walk in and get a lower price by just signing up for a card then it’s not a loyalty program. Watch these deals too. Many times they also hike the price up during a buy 2 special. You really do need to scrutinize and carry that calculator with you.