A person’s grocery cart is a window into their world, and a cart filled exclusively with frozen and canned goods tells a very specific story. While there is nothing wrong with these products, a diet that relies entirely on them can be a sign of a modern lifestyle that is under a great deal of…
We all go to the grocery store with a budget in mind. However, the final number on the receipt is often a shock. The grocery store is an environment that is designed to encourage overspending. It is very easy to fall into a set of bad shopping habits that can quietly wreck your budget. These…
A grocery store is not just a place with shelves; it is a carefully engineered sensory experience. Retail psychologists know that when our brains are overwhelmed with sights, sounds, and smells, our rational decision-making skills decline. This state of “sensory overload” makes us more susceptible to impulse buys and less focused on our shopping list…
The grocery cart is a very public display of our private lives and needs. While we may proudly place our healthy produce on top, many of us have a few items that we would rather not announce to the world. These are the products that we feel a sense of shame or embarrassment about. We…
The clearance section of a grocery store, with its bright red and yellow stickers, can feel like a paradise for bargain hunters. It is filled with products at a deep discount. However, there is always a reason why an item has been marked down for clearance. While you can find some great deals, there are…
Grocery stores have surprisingly liberal return policies. Most will take back a food item with no questions asked. However, this policy is not used equally across the store. Retail managers report that a few specific food categories are the source of the vast majority of all customer returns. These items are inherently unpredictable or are…
A grocery cart is a deeply personal space. It is a direct reflection of our lives, our habits, and our priorities. When you are standing in the checkout line, the person behind you can learn a surprising amount about you just by glancing at the items on the conveyor belt. Your grocery list, which is…
A cashier sees hundreds of different customers and thousands of different products every single day. Over time, they develop a keen sense for the secret stories that our shopping carts tell. While they will always be polite to your face, they often have a quiet laugh with their coworkers about certain purchases. From bizarre combinations…
A trip to the grocery store should be a simple chore. For many families, however, it is a weekly source of conflict. The aisles of a supermarket can become a surprising stage for arguments between couples and meltdowns with children. This is not just a coincidence. The grocery store is an environment that is filled…
The music playing in a grocery store is not just background noise. It is a carefully chosen part of a sophisticated marketing strategy called “sensory marketing.” Retailers have known for decades that the sounds in a store can have a direct and powerful impact on a shopper’s mood and their purchasing decisions. From the tempo…
Stockpiling food for an emergency is a smart and responsible thing to do. However, if you live in an apartment or a neighborhood with close quarters, your stockpiling habits could have a major impact on the people around you. Certain types of food can create strong, unpleasant odors. They can also attract a host of…
The first choice you make when you enter a grocery store is which cart to take. Do you grab a large, standard cart, a smaller “mini” cart, or just a hand basket? This seemingly small decision can reveal a surprising amount about your financial personality and your approach to budgeting. Your choice of a shopping…
Your grocery store loyalty card is a powerful tool for saving money. It is also a powerful surveillance device. Every time you scan it, the store creates a detailed record of every single item you buy. Most of us assume this data is only used for marketing. However, in a contentious divorce, this seemingly innocent…
The cameras at the self-checkout lane are there for one primary reason: loss prevention. Retailers use them to deter and catch shoplifters. However, these high-definition cameras are always rolling. They end up capturing a hilarious and often bizarre slice of human life. From strange scanning attempts to outright weird behavior, these ten moments show that…
You walk into your familiar grocery store, and your heart sinks. Everything has been moved. The bread is now where the pet food used to be. The cereal aisle is gone. This overnight reorganization is a deeply frustrating experience. Retailers claim they do this to “improve the shopping experience.” However, the real reasons are much…
In the world of consumer psychology, a “price barrier” is a powerful, invisible line in the sand. When the price of a common, everyday item crosses a certain psychological threshold, shoppers will suddenly perceive it as “too expensive” and will stop buying it. For a huge number of our daily staples and small splurges, that…