Super Market Strategies

Don’t think of a supermarket as just a simple store; it’s a special environment on which millions has been spent honing a place to target our impulses and encourage us to buy more than we need.

The most important lesson to teach an eight year old about money is to take them to a supermarket and ask what they can smell when they walk in. The answer will usually be bread or a bakery (and some say even if the bakery’s at the other end of the store, as then the smell is pumped in, though proof is hard to come by). This is because the smell of bread makes us hungry, and when we’re hungry we’re likely to buy more food; the supermarket wants us to spend.

This means, as consumers we must learn counter moves; obviously eating before shopping helps, but this is just one of their tricks, others include:

Sweets and magazines placed by the till. These are impulse buys, so putting them near the till gives the store one last attempt to grab our cash.

Store layouts make us walk the whole distance. Regularly bought items tend to be spaced around the store, so that to complete our shopping we need to pass many other tempting goodies.

Eye level products are where the profit is. The most profitable stock is placed at eye level (or children’s eye level if its targeted at them); yet profitable goods tend not to be the best deals, so the adage ‘look high and low for something’ really does apply.

Sales are meant to sell. While grapes and other attractive products may be placed near the front of a store, even at below cost price to entice you in with a genuine bargain... the same signage and displays will be used elsewhere to promote deals, yet these mightn’t be competitive. Bright colours and the words 'discount' and 'sale' make us feel good, yet the reduction may be pennies, and other equivalent cheaper products hidden for less.

While an understanding of how supermarkets work will save you cash; controlling your own impulses cuts the bills too. This is especially important for those with limited budgets. This isn’t rocket science, but following through the correct process will save you cash.

Set a budget.

If you’re on a strict budget, its important to get yourself in the right mindset. Don’t ask “what’s the cheapest way to get all the goodies I desire” instead ask “what can I spend within my budget of £xx a week”.

This, of course, should be part of a wider budgeting strategy. How much of your cash you prioritise to food shopping depends on your other expenditure; the budget planner tool should help.

Make a list.

Modern technology hasn’t come up with anything to compete with ‘the shopping list’. By deciding what you want before you head out, it’s easier to cut out anything that goes over budget, and stick to it.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Spotting a substantial bargain while shopping, something you were planning to buy another day, may rightfully loosen the purse strings. Yet always ask yourself ‘do I need it, will I use it, can I find it cheaper anywhere else’ before buying it.

Waste not want not.

There’s no easier way to waste cash than by regularly throwing out old food that you never used. While it’s admittedly time consuming, the best way to make your shopping list super-effective is by writing a meal plan for the week/month. Look in the cupboards, fridge and freezer to see what you’ve got and asking ‘what can I make with it?’.

Work out what you’re going to eat every day, incorporating the ingredients you already have. There is a terrific menu planner section on the old style board if you’re stumped for ideas for what to make from spare ingredients, check out cookingbynumbers.com. Type in the ingredients and it comes up with a list of recipes.

Challenge yourself to whip up a banquet with leftovers and food that’s close to going off. Remember to understand what the different food labels mean too – so you don’t throw away things that  still perfectly useable.