Welcome to campus! First time shopping? Feel uncomfortable with all the choices at a grocery store? We are here to help. Next time you enter the supermarket, take a look around and you might notice it is generally organized with the healthier, whole-food choices predominantly on the outside and the more processed foods in the middle. You can use this knowledge to your advantage. If you attempt to do almost all of your shopping on the perimeter first, your groceries will be more nutritious and delicious.
Here’s a trick to help you avoid making purchases you’ll regret—make a list of items before you leave for the store. Plan your weekly menu before you go! If you don’t have a road map, you may get lost on the journey. Online ordering and curbside pick-up may make it easier to avoid tempting options. If you do shop in the store, be determined to only get what’s on the list. This way you are prepared to see all the tempting choices but will not feel the pressure to buy them. Also, consider having a snack or even a meal before arriving to prevent your salivary glands from firing and encouraging you to make impulse buys. These small little tricks can help you erase all that anxiety around grocery shopping.
Fun fact: The grocery store uses science! Consumer expert Paco Underhill explains that up to two thirds of the items consumers purchase were not items they intended to buy.
General merchandise like canned goods and baking ingredients are put in the center aisles to draw customers toward non-essential items. Also, the check-out aisles feature products that are hard to ignore as you wait in line. The merchandisers know that you just navigated the whole store and turned many tempting products down. Because you are worn down, you are more likely to purchase the strategic products in the checkout line. Knowing these grocery store cheats can help you beat them! Read up on more grocery store secrets and their solutions.