Basic Store Marketing Strategies

Today, we are going to learn some marketing tricks that grocery stores and supercenters use to lure us into spending more.

Assuming that you have been to the grocery store or supercenter lately, you know that each has a typical setup where the produce, meat, dairy, and bakery are all along the perimeter of the grocery section with the boxed, canned and convenience goods lined by aisle in the middle. Typically, the bread is on one side of the store and the milk is on the other… or the bread might be sandwiched – pardon the pun – somewhere in the between.

There is a plan at work.

What is the number one thing that most people buy at the store? Bread and milk. Maybe eggs. The marketing brains want to bring you as far into the store as possible, drawing you past displays promoting the nearest holiday… reminding you that you forgot Great Aunt Edna’s birthday… that back-to-school is right around the corner… that you need to spend more money than you planned. They also want you to travel all. the. way. through. the. store.

Why is the beer near the diapers? It certainly is not because babies drink alcohol. It is for the daddy who is sleep-deprived and sent to the store by his wife because Junior is down to his last Huggies.

Where is the bakery? Can you smell it? Ahhh… the smell is delightful… for a reason. Run as quickly as you can in the opposite direction! These goodies will delight your senses while they pick your pocket. I’m not kidding. Did you know that certain aromas release endorphins in your brain? That’s the happy gnomes that race through your body, bringing a smile to your face. Why is the bakery near the door? Because they want you to be happy when you shop because happy people buy more!

Think about that smell again. Fresh. Baked. Bread. Yumm! Is your mouth watering? It’s a natural response and when your mouth waters, your body is ready to eat. When you are hungry, you buy more at the store.

While were are talking about your senses, what type of music do they play in a store? Feel-good mellow music. Nothing too upbeat because you might get motivated to move your buggy too fast. The longer you are in a store, the more money you are likely to spend.

Yeah, these marketing guys make big bucks to figure out why and how you shop but those are not the only tricks they have. In our next lesson, we will look at the hidden traps all along the shelves.