Large chain stores are holding countless promotions. It seems that they should go bankrupt long ago, but they are only expanding and, apparently, are making good profits. What's the catch? Is it realistic to get a real discount, or is this all just a marketing ploy of sellers?
Real discounts
Suppose a store actually lowers the price of a certain category of goods or a particular product. What should be alarming here? The fact is that such a discounted product is just a way to attract a customer to the store. Surely, he will buy not only what he came for, but something else, for which the price may be higher than the average. As a result, everyone is happy - the buyer with what they allegedly saved, the seller - with an increase in revenue and, accordingly, profit. Therefore, if you want to really get the benefit, buy only what the supermarket has reduced the price for.
Imaginary discounts
This is a classic - this method is used mainly by stores of household appliances and clothing, but grocery supermarkets do not disdain this scheme. So, during the big sale period, double price tags appear on the shelves. The old price is crossed out, and the new one is written below. At the same time, one gets the impression that the goods really began to cost much less. In fact, the first price was initially very high, and the second is not much different from the real cost. If you do not want to fall into such a hook, supervise the prices of the things you like in advance and do not give in to the spontaneous impulse to buy something you absolutely do not need with a “profit”.
Substandard
When a product expires (do not confuse it with an expiration date - no store has the right to sell an expired product), red price tags appear on the shelves urging to buy two products for the price of one. The goal is to quickly get rid of the substandard, so as not to miss at least some profit. In order not to buy spoiled products, carefully look at the expiration date and appearance. And it is advisable to open it immediately after purchase - the store is obliged to exchange the moldy or sour product for a similar one in normal condition.
Discount programs
Another shopper trap. By offering a loyal customer card, chips or stickers that need to be saved up so that later to buy a gift for a penny, the store binds the buyer, who now visits more often and, accordingly, leaves more money. In the case of chips, the average check also grows - if the purchase amount does not reach the amount needed to receive the chip, the person will most likely get it to the desired one, even if he did not initially plan to spend so much.
So, in order not to fall for the next temptation, you need to go to the store with a shopping list, planning all purchases in advance. And after analyzing how much you spend on average in a particular store, go where you see obvious savings.
