Grocery shopping in Rosemead, California on April 21, 2022.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
With inflation and the rising cost of food, writer Jen Glantz wants to be more strategic with groceries.
She asked experts about the sneaky ways grocery stores get customers to buy and pay more.
“Outsmart the store by buying what you need, not falling for sales tricks,” financial planner Andrew Rosen says.
One of the biggest financial drains on my wallet every month is from how much I spend on groceries. I’m not an extravagant cook, and most of my meals are basic and easy to throw together — such as pasta and vegetables for dinner or a hummus and chicken wrap for lunch — yet food bills can range from $160 to over $200 a week.
The rising cost of food due to inflation has made me attempt to be more strategic and cautious when filling up my cart at the grocery store. I started to wonder what tactics stores use to target customers and get us to spend more while we shop.
I asked five experts, from recipe developers to nutritionists, to share how I can outsmart grocery stores and lower my bill every week. Here are the five top tips they shared.
Grabbing prepared foods can hurt your wallet
When I know I have a busy week ahead, or am feeling extra lazy, I’ll load up on prepared food options that my local grocery store offers. My go-to is a prepared chicken dish with two sides, which can cost me anywhere from $13 to $15 per meal.
MaryAnne Hoekstra-Shekar, a recipe developer and food photographer, said that while it might feel like I’m making my meal planning easier by grabbing a pre-made meal, it could be costing me more in the long run.
“You can avoid paying a significant markup for additional labor and packaging,” Hoekstra-Shekar told me.
Instead, Hoekstra-Shekar said it’s beneficial to spend extra time planning what to make for the week before you head to the store, so you have a general idea of what to get on your shopping trip and what things you can use that are already in your pantry and freezer.
Grocery stores target your cell phone
One long-standing tradition I have is hunting for coupons before heading to the grocery store. However, Dustin York, an associate professor of communication at Maryville University who’s worked with PepsiCo in the past, said grocers can try to convince customers to buy more by targeting their cell phones.
York said digital coupons can cause shoppers to buy items they wouldn’t have otherwise purchased.
“The grocers can then utilize the most powerful resource in the world to target you for personalized marketing, which is your data,” York said.
This kind of targeting can encourage customers to make more impulse purchases, which is something I’m guilty of.
To prevent this, York advises to only use the grocery store app after your shopping cart is complete to avoid giving into any tempting deals.
Beware of the layout of stores
While I go to the grocery store weekly, I never thought about how the layout of the products could influence my spending habits.
Veronica Rouse, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, explained how grocery stores manipulate customers into buying certain items just through the setup of the store.
For example, Rouse said many stores will put the expensive items at eye level and the less expensive items on lower shelves. She recommends always looking below your line of vision to find a better price.
She also said stores will purposely place essential items like eggs and meat in the back of the store to get customers to travel through as much inventory as possible.
“Stores know what most people have on their grocery list,” Rouse said. “Therefore, even if you’re going for a quick trip to pick up eggs, you’ll be exposed to many other items along the way that could influence you to impulse buy.”
By being cognizant of this, shoppers can keep their eye on their grocery list and not get distracted by other items along the way that they don’t actually need.
Buying in bulk isn’t always best
Signs that alerts customers that there’s a sale could just be a way that the store is tempting you to spend more, certified financial planner Andrew Rosen told me.
Rosen said it’s important to watch out for items that are marked on sale, like purchasing 15 yogurts for the price of 12, because it can lead to people buying more of something than they usually would just to get a discounted price.
“Do you really need the 15 yogurts just to get $5 off?” Rosen said. “Outsmart the store by buying what you need and not falling for gimmicky sales tricks.”
Healthy options can cost more
As someone who tries to exclusively buy organic produce, I often find the markup to be quite high. That’s why Amy Shapiro, a registered dietitian, said it’s a good idea to read labels closely.
Labels that use terms like vegan, organic, and Whole30 can cost more because clients who are focused on their health are willing to pay for it, Shapiro said.
“It is important to recognize that many brands still offer items with those same health benefits, but just don’t pay for the certifications,” Shapiro said. “This allows them to charge less. So read the nutrition label and ingredients.”
Shapiro also recommends buying organic items that are expensive in stores on the brand’s website instead — which might be cheaper than buying the product at a retailer — or searching for competitive pricing as a way to save money.
After speaking to these experts, It became clear that the only way I can save money when grocery shopping is to be extra prepared. I’ve started to plan meals and write out a shopping list before leaving my house. That way, I don’t give into any of the temptations these stores are hoping my wallet and I succumb to during our weekly trip to the grocery store.