Effective Strategies for a Successful Grocery Store Trip

The grocery store can be a difficult place to navigate, but we are here to help provide some effective shopping strategies for an affordable and nutritious experience. Our first and biggest recommendation is to stay on the perimeter and outer aisles of the store. This is where the least processed foods are found such as produce and dairy. In regards to purchasing produce, we recommend purchasing what is in-season and switching up the produce you purchase with each trip to the store. This not only adds a variety to your cart, but more variety brings different nutrients in each fruit and vegetable. Another recommendation we have is to shop with a basket instead of a cart, which can keep you mindful in purchasing only what you really need. Buying canned or frozen foods is another money-saving recommendation as it is cost-effective and can still be a great source of nutrition with items such as canned beans, tuna, or fruits. Our only tip in this regard is to make sure the cans do not contain a lot of added sodium or sugar.

Making a list ahead of time is another strategy to help you stay on track, both with your budget and also helping you avoid impulse buying items that look good at the moment. It is also important to keep in mind that grocery stores are very strategic in their marketing strategies; for example, higher-priced and most-wanted items tend to be placed at eye level on the shelves. Dairy and eggs are placed in the back of the store for a very specific reason as well: as they are typically on every person and family’s shopping list, placing them in the back of the store requires the customer to walk through the middle aisles and be tempted to stay longer and shop for more. Grocery stores even go so far as to play music that has a certain beat that encourages an easy-going pace. A study in 1982 found that when stores played slower-tempo music sales were 38% higher than when they played a fast tempo (Milliman 1982). Research has also shown that the color yellow stimulates and increases your appetite, which explains why many brands market their products with this color.

Keeping these tips in mind can provide you with a more guided and effective grocery store trip! We hope your next trip to the store is one full of whole foods and whole knowledge!

Written By: Elizabeth Hoffman, Nutrition Intern Fall 2021

Works Cited:

“20 Supermarket Traps to Avoid: Grocery Store Tricks: Save on Food: Smart Money: Grocery Store Spending Traps.” Living Well Spending Less®, 1 June 2020, https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/20-supermarket-traps-avoid/.

Milliman, Ronald E. “Using Background Music to Affect the Behavior of Supermarket Shoppers.” Journal of Marketing, vol. 46, no. 3, 1982, p. 86., https://doi.org/10.2307/1251706.