Supermarkets are big traps for consumers. If you can’t avoid them, you must learn about all the little traps you can be caught in – if you don’t want to lose your time and money.

Yesterday I went to a supermarket. I wanted to buy some bread, butter and shampoo. Five minutes in the shop and not too much money spent. After all, it’s the end of the month. After one hour, I was queuing to a cash register with my trolley full of goods. I had to pay with a credit card because I simply didn’t have enough money. I had actually a glimpse of thought: perhaps I should leave it all and escape? Run away without paying and without carrying home all these things I probably didn’t really need… I didn’t, but I wish I could. Why did I buy the thousandth pair of socks, Yunnan tea which I never drink with a mug I don’t really like?

 

Trap 1 – RELAX
Can you hear this peaceful music? Can you smell the fresh bread and rolls? Can you see hostesses smiling at you, letting you try delicious coffee or the creamy pieces of cheese? The slow music is chosen to make you move slowly, because you buy more when you are not in a hurry. The smell is not from a bakery, but an from aerosol. When you try a product and you like it, you feel you have to compensate for it.

Trap 2 – THIS IS CHEAPER!
Are bargains a myth? Unfortunately very often they are. It happens that an article has a big label OFFER and it has the same price as the day before. There is a price added (a price which never was the real price) and it is crossed, so it seems you buy cheaper, but you don’t. The same happens with sales. But even if the thing is cheaper than before, its quality can be worse. People often buy things with reduced prices which normally nobody would buy.

Trap 3 – THIS IS MORE!
It happens the packages are much bigger than the content. It can be the case with cereals, but also with facial cream. Clients should always look how much they really buy, and not take the biggest pack thinking it would be worth it. It might also happen they get less and don’t notice it. It has happened that tinned tuna fish 180 g appeared in the same tin and label, but this time 170 g only. Nobody will notice, nobody ever reads such details. But the client gets cheated.

Trap 4 – IT’S IN THE EYE
The cheapest products are always put in the lowest and highest places. Your eyes always look at what is more expensive. If you don’t know exactly what you want, you will always get the more expensive product as it is the first one that you see.

Trap 5 – SPECIAL PRESENT FOR YOU
A mug with coffee, a small tub of pasta with the bigger one. Presets are tempting. You can have an impression that you actually save money.

Trap 6 – ICE-CREAM AND SAUCE
You wanted to buy ice-cream, but there is chocolate sauce near. You wanted wine and you notice beautiful wine glasses! Be careful! Do you really need it?

Trap 7 – YOU ARE WORTH IT!
That’s probably the worst trap of all, as it influences enormously your buying habits. You work hard. Or you are young and pretty. You simply deserve all these things. Even if it is true, remember that you are the one to pay!

Improve your vocabulary!

trap – pułapka
consumer – konsument
trolley – wózek
glimpse – rzucić okiem na
mug – kubek
rolls – bułki
bargain – okazja, przecena
tempting – kuszący