Don’t Fall for This Gimmick: Supermarket Savvy
1 Comment | Written on June 25, 2012 at 9:00 am, by Rachel Achmad
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Supermarkets love to run catchy quantity sales — you know, when you can get 10 of something for $10? Sometimes the pricing is even higher: one of my stores regularly runs a 4 for $20 meat sale.
As The New York Times reported last summer, this is one of the most common marketing tricks grocers employ, and people fall for it all the time. You almost never have to buy the full quantity advertised, yet most people do. It’s just trickery.
Why do stores do this? To make us buy more! If you think you have to buy 10 items to get the deal, you will. Even if you subsequently realize you don’t have to buy all ten, you’ll almost never buy just one. You might buy only seven and think you’re really being frugal … but if you normally would have only purchased one, the store has succeeded in getting you to spend six time more that you would have otherwise.
Sometimes these sales really are great deals (especially if you have a coupon you can double to get the product for free), but sometimes they’re not. I learned this ages ago when I bought 10 cans of tuna for $1 each, and then stopped by my local CVS to see the same cans on sale for 77 cents. Oops!
Always look closely at the sale’s requirements and specifics, either on your flyer or on the sign at the store — and, as always, if you’re not sure, ask!
Shop smart and save! Check out more tips on couponing and savvy shopping!
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Save Money, Save Time | Tags: Asian Cuisine, Dinner, Healthy Cooking, Italian Cuisine, Quick and Easy
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[...] Don’t Fall for This Gimmick: Supermarket Savvy – Save Money, Save …Jun 25, 2012 … Supermarkets love to run catchy quantity sales — you know, when you can get 10 of something for $10? Sometimes the pricing is even higher: … [...]