University of Worcester Psychology senior lecturer, Dr Felix Why, gives his tips on how to survive the supermarket shop and preserve your peace of mind – as well as your bank balance!
We’ve all been there. You enter the supermarket intending to get just a few things on your mind. But, along the way, wandering the aisles, you emerge the other side with a load of items that you never intended to buy, from scented diffusers to a penguin onesie!
Don’t shop when hungry
Pangs of hunger are distracting! When we are feeling empty or craving that sugar high, the danger is this becomes our focus; the result being we are more likely to succumb to shopping impulses. We are less able to intentionally inhibit our shopping impulses when distracted by our hunger. Researchers have also found that people tend to make less healthy dietary choices when their stomach is rumbling!
Don't shop because you are bored
Almost all of us have made an often-regretted buy while browsing an online retailer on a quiet Sunday night! At the time it seemed like such a necessary purchase! We often buy things as a form of entertainment, not necessarily because we need or want them. It is the joy in the process of buying that is used as a way to cope with boredom.
Stores know that most consumers don't exercise their right to a return - they have the data that backs this up - which is why they offer returns policies to entice people to buy without regret. So blow away the cobwebs with a walk, catch up with that old friend you’ve been meaning to contact - and don’t delve for your wallet!
Avoid shopping when you are less able to resist temptation
When we are unwell, tired, stressed, emotional, or distracted, we are less able to resist temptation. So avoid trips to the aisles at these times - and reduce the need to go at all where possible.
Always go in with a shopping list, and make a plan of essential items
If you’re one of those people who likes to ‘play it by ear’ when shopping, you could be walking into a minefield when you venture through those electronic doors. Arm yourself with a list as this helps us stay focused on our purpose for the shopping trip.
Without this tactic, you might come out without the one thing you went in there for in the first place! And, frustratingly, this could lead to another trip! Also, going in with no gameplan in place increases the risk of buying things we did not intend to purchase in the first place. It is best to think of a store as a den of temptations and not just a place to buy things.
Stick to getting the items on your shopping list only first!
By loading your basket with only the essential items on your list first, it reduces the chances of being distracted by all the other products we want but don’t need. It will also help you avoid any promotions, such as two-for-one offers, displayed along the way.
Be aware of how store layouts and sensory cues are designed to tempt you
Essential items are often placed at the rear of the store, or the store layout makes us walk past displays of non-essential products, sale items and hard-to-resist items, like magazines, flowers or sweets, before reaching what we actually need. Doing so tempts customers to buy these non-essentials first. In some instances, such as a takeaway restaurant or bakery, the store is ventilated so that the smell of food tempts people even before they enter.
Have room for extra luxury or spontaneous items, but set a limit
Perfect is overrated! Everyone is allowed a little lapse or rebellion now and then, so you don’t have to give up all spontaneity when shopping. Developing a healthy and frugal shopping habit does not mean eliminating all your 'fun' purchases. But moderation is key. Allow yourself to purchase spontaneously, but limit this by the number of items and/or a budget, rather than relying solely on the feeling that you have chosen enough. What feels 'enough' changes from moment to moment and is an unreliable guide. This limit will help you determine whether that novelty cat mug is really worth your hard-earned cash!
Imagine whether you will regret or visualise your feelings of guilt or regret that you might experience after buying or consuming the item.
For instance, will you feel guilty or imagine feeling guilty after consuming that large chocolate bar. This strategy is a way to balance the joy of buying with the regret that might follow after making a purchase. Balancing the two emotions might reduce your motivation to buy or consume that item.
Beware of the offers
It’s hard to believe that £3.99 for an item is perfectly acceptable, yet £4 would ring alarm bells, but it’s true! The 3-for-2 offers and prices set at a value shy of a full pound are to give customers the illusion of a bargain. This entices people to buy them because it changes their perception of the item as being more affordable. One way this works is that people tend to evaluate affordability in pounds and tend to ignore the pennies.
Think of it this way - people tend to see the difference for £3.99 versus £4.00 as £3 versus £4 rather than just a difference of one pence. The effect is magnified when the prices are higher - £1,000 versus £999.
The bottom line?
Supermarkets are designed to get you to part with as much money as possible, from the scent of the shop as you walk past, to the layout and lighting, the specific prices and the options you’re given.
Use these simple strategies to take back control of your weekly food shop. Whether it’s sticking to a list, shopping when you’re well rested or setting limits on your treat-buys, these small steps can make a big difference to your wallet and reduce post-purchase guilt or regret.
Dr Felix Why completied his PhD at the University of St Andrews in 2005. Felix has worked at the National University of Singapore (Singapore), and then at the University of Hull before joining the University of Worcester as a Senior Lecturer in 2023. He is a Health and Care Professions Council registered health and occupational psychologist.