A SHOPPING expert has revealed little-known tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more money.
A consumer psychologist shared cheeky tactics put in place by big chains to “trap” you – and you may not have even noticed them.
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Dr. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd told how the placement of items on shelves and the length of the aisles all have an affect.
She told The Mirror: “It’s no fluke that you have to walk up and down long aisles in the supermarket.
“They do that to make sure that you’re trapped, because the more time you spend in an aisle, the more likely you are to pick up things along the way that you wouldn’t otherwise buy if you could whisk through the shop in any direction.”
The placement of products on shelves can also have a huge effect.
More expensive items are placed at eye-level, while cheaper items are down towards the floor.
Even end-of-aisle offers are all part of the illusion.
Dr. Jannson Boyd said 90 per cent of shoppers splash the cash on these offers because of the “adrenaline rush” of a good deal.
The expert earlier revealed how the “jumble sale” style lay out of the middle aisles of Aldi and Lidl can convince us to splurge more.
She explained that by the supermarket aisles starting off with “serious” items like vegetables and meats, the middle aisle breaks up the store with more fun products.
And shopping in the jumble sale-style section gives us an “adrenaline rush”.
How else can I save on my supermarket shop?
There are plenty of other ways to save on your supermarket shop.
You can try looking out for yellow or red stickers on products which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh you’ll have to eat it fast, or freeze it to have another time.
Sometimes even timing your shop to stock up just as items are discounted on the shelves can help you get the best bargains – lots of shoppers have said this is in the evening typically.
Making a list could save you some money too as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
That means going for “own” or “value” type products instead of “finest” or “luxury” lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes as well where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
Parents can get up to £442 in Healthy Start vouchers that they can use at the supermarket, on food and more for their children, for example.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support fund – so you can make your money go further with the extra support available.
