It happens to everyone: Hit the supermarket for 1 or 2 items and walk out with 1 or 2 bags of groceries.No one forced you to stock up on fresh, juicy fruit.Nor did anyone urge you to snap up a bag of crunchy snacks or sample a few new condiments.But advertising and marketing don't end when you turn off your TV, radio or cellphone.Retailers and manufacturers are putting more dollars into front-line efforts in the stores themselves, says Paco Underhill, founder of Envirosell and author of "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping."If stores do it right, you have fun shopping a clean, bright store and bringing home some interesting things to eat. And if you also want to stick to your budget, it pays to recognize in-store marketing when you see it.Do you keep overspending when you hit the supermarket' See if any of these seven marketing strategies might help explain why.SEE ALSO:13 money-saving tricks I used when I moved to New York City for graduate schoolDON'T MISS:A 37-year-old who created his dream job traveling the world gives his best advice on making it happen1. Theatrical lightingIn many grocery stores, the produce section will be one of the first things you see, says Underhill. And, if the store is smart, it looks and smells great.It's also "lit theatrically," he says. "Stuff looks better in the produce section than it ever will in your kitchen."And the technique works. "As Americans, we tend to overspend on produce by 20%," says Underhill.One other point that works against us is almost hardwired into our brainscall it "the pioneer ethos," he says. "All of us feel a little better when the pantry is full and the refrigerator is full."Europeans and Asians, societies where the tradition is to walk to the market and return with the day's food, "are much better about buying what they consume," says Underhill.To save money: When it comes to produce, forget your list and buy what looks best and freshest. But limit yourself to what you can truly use in the next day or 2.2. Counter-clockwise floor planThe basic floor plan of the average supermarketand most retail storesis set up to move you counter-clockwise through the store, says Underhill. You walk in, take a cart, go to your right, and keep moving.The reason: As you steer the cart with your left hand, you can easily grab things with your right. And most shoppers are right-handed, which makes the whole setup feel natural.One inconvenience that's actually intentional: Shopper staples such as milk and eggs are often in the opposite back corner of the store. That's because retailers know that you'll have to pass a lot of items before you get to what you've come to buy, says Underhill. And the more things you see, the more you're likely to buy.But some stores, especially those feeling competition from local convenience stores, will do just the opposite, and set up a conveniently located fixture near the front with milk, eggs and other dairy items.Now that consumers can buy food everywhere from big-box stores and farmers markets to drugstores, the polite war of one food chain versus another has turned into "a bar fight," he says.3. Engaging your sensesThese days, stores looking to compete are also giving you a little entertainment for your food dollar."Almost all store planners are trying to find ways to engage all 5 senses," says Underhill. Walk in the door, and you'll smell the bakery, the produce or the flowers. That gets the salivary glands working. The lighting and displays invite you to touch, which makes you more likely to buy.Even the background music is carefully selected. Shop the store mid-morning on Monday, with a lot of moms and retirees, and you'll hear the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra or Death Cab for Cutie, he says.Retailers will invite you to taste samples. And many post pictures of the farmers and purveyors, especially when the food is local, he says. "The most prevalent movement in food is local."Education is another popular strategy that's a win for the store and the consumer.One store posted information on 5 different sizes of shrimp, briefly listing the difference in the taste of each, as well as cooking suggestions. The store sold more shrimp because it gave "people the courage to try something different," Underhill says.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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