Grocery shopping. For some reason, I have been obsessed with going to the grocery store. NYC grocery stores are quite the experience... I'm always overwhelmed when I get to Texas and HEB and Walmart are the size of a small city. You just want to get in, get out and move on with your food. But it always seems like two hours later, you're still cruising down the aisles, grabbing stuff off the shelves as if a hurricane were coming. A trip to pick up the essentials soon turns into a shopping cart full of frozen pizzas (for Pleas), beer (another one for Pleas, I prefer Vodka) and when you get home, you realize you forgot the salad.
Truth is, grocery stores are designed to keep you there as along as possible so you will buy more. That's why the milk, eggs and other essentials are typically at the back of the store, so you are tempted to make impulse buys on the way back to the front to check out.
- Come Prepared: Never shop on an empty stomach. If you're hungry, everything in the supermarket will look delicious, and you will wind up buying more foods than you actually need. Last weekend, I was supposed to be getting food for the game and ended up adding bacon, cheese stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer because I was so hungry I didn't think I could wait for the meal. Another must have is a shopping list. Without you may be roaming the store for hours. I have tried to build my shopping list on my iPhone in the notes application or with the voice notes so I stay on track.
- Know the Store's Layout: Generally, grocery stores lead shoppers around in an orderly fashion, as in how they would shop to plan a meal, says clinical psychologist Patricia Farrell, PhD. Around the perimeter you'll find produce, meats/deli, milk/dairy, breads and frozen foods. The middle aisles tend to hold the more processed foods, such as canned goods, dressings, chips, soda, cereals, etc. NEVER SET FOOT IN CENTER AISLES. THAT'S WHERE THE JUNK FOOD LURKS.
- Learn the MoneyMakers: Grocery stores using pricing strategies to please customers, like a special of $10 for 10 boxes of something, to draw you in. Research shows customers buy more when produce or flowers are close to the entrance, and the most profitable items are at eye level, on displays, by cash registers or at the end of the aisles, which are often items that stores want to move quickly or the ones that produce the best profit, and not necessarily all good deals.
- Make It Easy for You: Supermarkets aren't just after your dough; they want to make shopping for groceries as accessible and pleasantas possible. For example, Whole foods market offers monthly or private Savvy Shopper Tours to its customers, helping them "train their eyes" to find values within the store, which are often sale items marked in red or yellow, says Natalie White, the supermarket's store marketing specialist. Whole Foods Market's weekly specials are new every Wednesday; Publix's sale ads come out every Thursday morning and Associated is every Sunday.
- Find the Healthy Stuff: Look up! good-for-you foods are less profitable, so they usually go on the top shelves. Also stick to the perimeter of the store, where the most nutrient-dense, whole foods are.
- Don't Take the Kids: If possible, leave your children at home when you go to the store. Supermarkets love children because when they see something, they will grab or cry until you let them have it. Foods marketed to them are placed at the bottom of shelves, where kids will see them, says Farrell.
To outsmart your supermarket, learn the tricks of the grocer and strategies to be an efficient and healthy shopper!
What are you tips for being a super shopper?