Why should you avoid buying
products placed at eye level in stores?
Every time you walk into a large store or supermarket, you may think that what you see before your eyes is automatically the best option. But the truth is completely different, as stores rely on smart marketing strategies known as "visual charts"
or (Planogram)
which aim to guide purchasing behavior
and increase profits, without the customer paying attention to this.
🧠Eye level = purchase level
According to Professor Graham Kendall, Professor of Operations Research at the University of Nottingham, products placed at eye level sell at higher rates than others, because the consumer sees them first and reacts to them quickly.
Therefore
stores are keen to place higher-priced or higher-profit products
at this level to attract attention and achieve greater profits.
💸 Price does not always reflect quality
Which?
revealed The British consumer rights specialist said that products placed at eye level are usually more expensive, although their quality may not be the best.
In one example, a tea package from a famous brand priced at £2.98 was placed on the top shelf, while a similar package from the store's own brand was placed at the bottom priced at just £2, despite excelling in taste tests.
🎯 Why do stores do this?
Stores exploit several psychological factors when arranging products, including:
Visual comfort:
The consumer automatically tends to take what is right in front of his eyes.
Misleading choice:
- by highlighting certain
- products and hiding others that
- are less expensive.
Forcing the customer to pass through the entire store: by placing basic products
such as milk and eggs in separate and distant places
which increases the chances of random purchases.
How to avoid these tricks?
To protect yourself from these clever tricks, here are some tips:
Look at the bottom and top shelves:
- cheaper or equivalent quality products are often found outside eye level.
- Prepare your shopping list in advance and stick to it to avoid temptations.
- Compare prices and quality, and don't settle for what you see first.
Don't rush at the beginning of the aisle:
Studies show that the first products are often of lower quality.
✅ Conclusion
What you see at eye level in the store is not necessarily the best for you, it is the best for store sales. So, don't let the arrangement of the shelves control your purchasing choices. Look up and down, compare, and be a smart shopper who saves money without compromising on quality.