Supermarkets are sneaky and dishonest

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
Something I have noticed a lot of lately is shelving at the end of aisles. 3 brands of products, the middle one has a "Special" price tag. The products either side have no price.
Sneaky in that elderly people with not good eyesight might think everything on that shelf is the "Special" price.
Some people would be caught out, thinking they are getting the special price, when in fact they will pay full price.

"Buy 2 for $8" single price $5.20. You buy 2 and spend $2.80 more than you really intended.

Any sneaky tactics you notice at your supermarkets?
 

Playing slow music to make you feel less rushed and happy to spend more time (and money) in store

Putting fruit and veg at the front so you shop there first and don't feel guilty about the less healthy foods that go into your basket later

Placing essential items at the back and far away from each other so you have to look for them (and come across a few things you don't need but want to buy along the way)

Keeping eggs in strange places so you end up on an egg hunt ..same with sugar

Stacking more expensive products at eye level and stocking popular combinations (like tortilla chips and salsa) next to each other to encourage you to get both

Covering tills with small items like chewing gum, sweets, nuts , painkillers, to encourage impulse buying.
 
hollydolly said:
Playing slow music to make you feel less rushed and happy to spend more time (and money) in store

Putting fruit and veg at the front so you shop there first and don't feel guilty about the less healthy foods that go into your basket later

Placing essential items at the back and far away from each other so you have to look for them (and come across a few things you don't need but want to buy along the way)

Keeping eggs in strange places so you end up on an egg hunt ..same with sugar

Stacking more expensive products at eye level and stocking popular combinations (like tortilla chips and salsa) next to each other to encourage you to get both

Covering tills with small items like chewing gum, sweets, nuts , painkillers, to encourage impulse buying.
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They are always moving the eggs. Luckily there are lists and the end of the aisles listing where products are. Though they are not always up to date and sometimes there are no lists at all.
 

It is infuriating when you have a mental picture of your planned trip around a supermarket and then find that they have rearranged things, so you have to go looking for what you want.
My main complaint though, is that no matter what time of day I go in, they always seem to be re-stocking the shelves. This applies to more than one supermarket. They should employ people out of hours to stock the shelves, otherwise you're falling over each other.
 
Lavinia said:
It is infuriating when you have a mental picture of your planned trip around a supermarket and then find that they have rearranged things, so you have to go looking for what you want.
My main complaint though, is that no matter what time of day I go in, they always seem to be re-stocking the shelves. This applies to more than one supermarket. They should employ people out of hours to stock the shelves, otherwise you're falling over each other.
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Same here. Shelf stackers now operating during the day.
I wonder if they no longer employ night stackers?
 
Lavinia said:
It is infuriating when you have a mental picture of your planned trip around a supermarket and then find that they have rearranged things, so you have to go looking for what you want.
My main complaint though, is that no matter what time of day I go in, they always seem to be re-stocking the shelves. This applies to more than one supermarket. They should employ people out of hours to stock the shelves, otherwise you're falling over each other.
Click to expand...
Shelves used to always get stocked during the night time hours, and the night shift were employed to do that. Then came Covid and all supermarkets began closing at midnight until 6 am... and laid off their night shift staff.. Madness.. so now the day shift stock the shelves..
 
Bretrick said:
Always been a thing here.
Eggs aisle 9
Pasta aisle 4
Biscuits aisle 2 and so forth
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Oh yes we have that here, but not listed at the end of the Aisle.. we have a hanging board above the aisle...funnily enough there's never one that says ''eggs''

asda-supermarket-aisle-uk-BM5297.jpg
 
Bretrick said:
Something I have noticed a lot of lately is shelving at the end of aisles. 3 brands of products, the middle one has a "Special" price tag. The products either side have no price.
Sneaky in that elderly people with not good eyesight might think everything on that shelf is the "Special" price.
Some people would be caught out, thinking they are getting the special price, when in fact they will pay full price.

"Buy 2 for $8" single price $5.20. You buy 2 and spend $2.80 more than you really intended.

Any sneaky tactics you notice at your supermarkets?
Click to expand...
I have a app on my phone that is a magnifier feature. One click and I can read even the smallest letters. Here in Canada, grocery stores have a small sign under each item that gives you the price per 100 grams, so you can make comparisons between products. My favorite coffee creamer comes in two sizes. The larger size is almost 30 percent cheaper than the smaller one liter bottle by weight.

Buyers need to be aware of the pricing of the products they buy. I don't think it is sneaky at all, when the price is right there for any one to see. For items that are not going to go bad, like the compostable bags, buying 2 packages on sale is not a bad idea, to me. Same for my coffee in the big can, which lasts me for at least 2 months ( I mark the date I bought the item on the side with a Sharpie pen ) when I get home. I mark everything we buy so I know how long it has been in the house, or the fridge. JimB.
 
After getting screwed a few times by just reaching and assuming, I now read every word on the tag to be sure I'm buying exactly what I want. And you have to check your receipt before leaving the store too. One airhead charged me for a dozen donuts when I only bought 1/2 and even after I told her. I only checked when I got home that time.
 
hollydolly said:
Playing slow music to make you feel less rushed and happy to spend more time (and money) in store

Putting fruit and veg at the front so you shop there first and don't feel guilty about the less healthy foods that go into your basket later

Placing essential items at the back and far away from each other so you have to look for them (and come across a few things you don't need but want to buy along the way)

Keeping eggs in strange places so you end up on an egg hunt ..same with sugar

Stacking more expensive products at eye level and stocking popular combinations (like tortilla chips and salsa) next to each other to encourage you to get both

Covering tills with small items like chewing gum, sweets, nuts , painkillers, to encourage impulse buying.
Click to expand...
Can the eggs be any farther from the door? Eggs and milk - things most shoppers buy are as far as they can be from the entrance!
 
I think the eggs and milk are usually on the wall so there is room for the refrigeration units to be filled and serviced from the stock rooms. Of course, that could be the back wall, the left wall or the right wall. Good luck. :)
 
I make a list for each store, what is on sale, what the price is, and the limit. I tend to stay on track with what I have on each list. The only store that may get me to put extra in the cart is Aldi. They have products I like but are not always in stock. If I see that item I may add it.

I am one that has learned that self check out can be good. I can take my time and make sure everything rings up correctly.
 
Chet said:
After getting screwed a few times by just reaching and assuming, I now read every word on the tag to be sure I'm buying exactly what I want. And you have to check your receipt before leaving the store too. One airhead charged me for a dozen donuts when I only bought 1/2 and even after I told her. I only checked when I got home that time.
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That's why I like the self check out when I go for something.
Sassycakes said:
I have always shopped from home and they deliver it to me.
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I do most of my shopping that way too. That way I'm not tricked into buying more. I just go to my list of favorites and fill my cart from there. :) (y)
 
I'm not sure if this is sneaky but bought a lb of ground turkey. It was in a package with no price (my mistake). I put it in my basket and went about my business. At the self checkout there was a big line. On Mondays they only do self check out.
When I scanned the turkey it was 7.98! I don't think its right but didn't want to hold up the line.
I've saved the receipt and the container with the UPC and I'm going to go in and check this.
 
hearlady said:
I'm not sure if this is sneaky but bought a lb of ground turkey. It was in a package with no price (my mistake). I put it in my basket and went about my business. At the self checkout there was a big line. On Mondays they only do self check out.
When I scanned the turkey it was 7.98! I don't think its right but didn't want to hold up the line.
I've saved the receipt and the container with the UPC and I'm going to go in and check this.
Click to expand...
AS Judge Judy says......You ate the steak, its too late to give it back !" If it were me I would have asked one of the meat department staff to weight the package and put a price tag on it. Then check out. JImB.
 
Wigglestein said:
Can the eggs be any farther from the door? Eggs and milk - things most shoppers buy are as far as they can be from the entrance!
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..we don't refrigerate eggs here.. so they're usually in an Aisle somewhere in the Middle ( except Aldi who have them in the last Aisle).. .. the Milk is also usually in the middle in one of the Fridges.. ..Bread and bread products is more often at the last or near to last Aisle...
 
Here the grocers buy from vendors such as associated grocers or coremark. They place their own orders which anount to thousands of items in a big store. Usually they have a set markup on items ( the store itself sets this). When prices go up they can be trapped too. Their choice is what they stock…high or low end…staples or new items. I feel sorry for them. When my partner had a convenience store we were often faced with ridiculous pricing to make any profit at all…and to run a restaurant was very very difficult.
 
Buy one, get one free....Ha, you better watch them ring it up because they will charge you for both.
And sizes are getting much smaller now.
 
Muskrat said:
Here the grocers buy from vendors such as associated grocers or coremark. They place their own orders which anount to thousands of items in a big store. Usually they have a set markup on items ( the store itself sets this). When prices go up they can be trapped too. Their choice is what they stock…high or low end…staples or new items. I feel sorry for them. When my partner had a convenience store we were often faced with ridiculous pricing to make any profit at all…and to run a restaurant was very very difficult.
Click to expand...
When I lived in AZ we experienced the worse produce I have had as well as the highest prices for driving the products through the desert to the market.
 
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