It is no secret that supermarkets, more than a place to buy food or supplies for daily life, are places for consumption like any store, and everything in them is intended to encourage consumers to buy all kinds of goods.
In fact, and in various ways that are sometimes difficult to notice, every detail of the supermarkets it is intended for this purpose. For example, that the batteries are on the cashier’s shelf, just before paying, is no coincidence. Some of these strategies are more obvious and others respond to psychological reasons.
The batteries in the checkout line, a classic
When the shopper arrives at the checkout, it is assumed that they have already chosen all the items they are going to buy. However, it is typical in supermarkets to place at the checkout basic products that respond to very specific needs.
A classic are the batteries, an item that is not usually part of the shopping list, but is likely to end up in the basket, ‘just in case’. These products, called ‘irrational’, can also be chewing gum, chocolate, cookies, sale products or products for children…
The ‘safe’ products, at the end of the store
Milk, eggs, oil, meat or fish… are products that most likely appear on the shopping list. However, to put them in the basket you have to look for them almost at the end of the supermarkets. A simple strategy for the buyer to go through the entire establishment and see the rest of the products, so that some of them that were not planned end up in the basket.
Shelves and their order, a key factor
It has been shown that the height at which the products are placed influences the buyer’s decision. That is why they are usually placed at customer eye level that product of which you want to boost the sale. They can be offer brands to build loyalty, private labels to make a profit… More than half of what is bought is at eye or hand level.
Colors, smells and sounds at the service of sales
Each section of the supermarket usually has a chromatic hue that suggests something in the client. Blue, for example, is usually used in the areas of household or hygiene products (suggesting cleanliness), black for perfumery (luxury, exclusivity), red is used for fast and safe consumption products or green for new or ecological products, among other examples. Also to enhance the visual aspect of certain products (make the meat look redder, the fish fresher and cleaner…).
The smell, on the other hand, is enhanced in product sections such as bread to give the sensation of being freshly made, or in the prepared food area.
Another curious detail is the sound, since the music present in the supermarket (although it is not always perceived) enhances the rhythm of purchase (dynamic music for areas where the speed of the consumer in choosing products is enhanced, and quiet if looking for calm and tranquility).
The pleasant temperature to save time
In supermarkets it is never cold or hot, always a pleasant temperature (around 22-25ºC) to ensure that the customer is comfortable and spends more time in the supermarket, which triggers the chances that they will buy more. The absence of windows or clocks also serves this purpose.
