“I just need to stop at the grocery store to grab a few things.”

Supermarkets not only rely on such behaviorthey encourage it.

Shopping tip:Buy supermarket flowers for convenience, not value.

The prices may be low, but the flowers are seldom as fresh as those from local florists.

Shopping tip:Reach to the back and dig for the freshest items.

“Most deliveries come in Monday through Friday,” Underhill adds.

Shopping tip:Shop after a meal, or have a snack first.

Shopping tip:Being on display doesn’t necessarily mean a discount.

“If it’s on sale, believe me, it will be prominently marked.

And watch endcaps for a recurring pattern.

Leading brands often compete this way.

If you don’t see the brand you like, just wait for it to come around.

Shopping tip:Drop off prescriptionsbefore you start grocery shoppingto minimize idle waiting.

You may find better deals on health and beauty products in a supermarket than in a drugstore.

Shopping tip:Stay focused by making a list.

Impulse Buys (Candy, Magazines, Etc.)

Location:By the registers and exit

Why they’re here:To turn waiting time into buying time.

This is the most profitable area of the store, Underhill says.

Shopping tip:“Express” doesn’t always mean faster.

Shelf Layout

The placement of items on store shelves is not haphazard.

These smaller brands usually don’t have the budget to pay for more favorable placement.

If you’d like your store to stock a particular item on this shelf, talk to the manager.

It is the best placement, and the manufacturers have to pay for it,” says Childress.

So here you tend to see higher-priced items or items with the highest markup."

Shopping tip:Look below the bull’s-eye to find similar products for a lot less, says Childress.

Shopping tip:Leave the children at home, if possible.

Underhill adds: “The same manufacturer that makes the branded product often manufactures the house brand.

It may be for all practical purposes the same product in a different package.”

When buying bulk items, don’t go overboard.

And the more you have, the more you tend to use."

Kwak JK.Analysis on the effect of express checkouts in retail stores.Journal of Applied Business Research.

2017;33(4):767-774. doi:10.19030/jabr.v33i4.9998