South African households are counting every rand, but the retailers competing for their money have a formidable advantage: they understand how people shop, often better than shoppers understand themselves.
From the moment customers collect a trolley, they enter an environment carefully designed to influence where they walk, what they notice and how much they spend. Store layouts, shelf positions, scents, sounds, prices and loyalty programmes all play a part.
“We always think we are in full control of our free will when we walk through those doors with a trolley, but in reality, we are entering a highly calculated, scientific obstacle course,” says Prof. Roland Goldberg, an expert in consumer behaviour, retail and place marketing at the North-West University (NWU).
Even the location of everyday essentials is deliberate.
“Bread and milk are what we call destination products. People go to the store specifically to buy them. If they were placed at the entrance, customers could be in and out within two minutes, and the retailer would earn very little from that visit,” says Goldberg.
By placing these products towards the back of the store, retailers force customers to pass shelves filled with temptation.
“The store layout can also leave shoppers slightly disorientated, encouraging them to abandon their clear purpose and begin browsing instead. Even the trolley plays a role. Trolleys are much larger than they used to be, and an almost empty trolley can make us feel that we have not bought enough.”
Then there is one of retail’s golden rules: eye level is buy level.
Retailers use detailed visual maps, known as planograms, to determine exactly where products should be placed. The most valuable position is directly in an adult shopper’s line of sight, about 1.5 metres from the floor.
“People generally follow the path of least resistance and grab what is directly in front of them. Manufacturers are prepared to pay substantial slotting fees for that shelf space because they know how valuable it is,” Goldberg explains.
Consumers who are prepared to bend down may be rewarded.
“Bargains, bulk packs and the store’s own cheaper house brands are often placed closer to ankle height, while premium niche products tend to sit above eye level. Looking beyond the most convenient shelf can save you money.”
The calculation changes when children enter the aisle. Colourful cereals, sweets and other profitable products are positioned lower down, directly within a child’s field of vision.
“Look at the cartoon characters on cereal boxes. Their eyes are often angled downwards so that they appear to make eye contact with a child walking beside the trolley or sitting inside it,” says Goldberg.
“That eye contact creates an emotional connection. The child begins pleading for the product, and the retailer knows that an exhausted parent shopping after work may eventually give in simply to keep the peace.”
By the time shoppers reach the till, they have made hundreds of small decisions and may be experiencing decision fatigue.
“At that point, the brain is looking for a quick reward. That is precisely why chocolates and sweets are placed there,” Goldberg says.
“The checkout area is also an ‘oh-no-I-forgot’ station, stocked with batteries, razor blades, plasters and chewing gum. You are confined to a narrow space and cannot easily turn around or put something back.”
Retailers also appeal to the senses. Flowers at the entrance create an impression of freshness, while the smell of coffee or bread from an in-store bakery makes shoppers feel at home – and hungry.
“Scent is powerful because it connects closely with emotion. A hungry customer is also likely to spend considerably more than someone who has eaten before shopping,” says Goldberg.
Even the floor may influence behaviour.
“Near expensive wines or beauty products, the floor tiles may become smaller. The trolley wheels click more quickly, the brain concludes that you are moving too fast, and you unconsciously slow down. Very few shoppers realise that something as ordinary as a floor can influence how long they remain in an aisle.”
Pricing provides another psychological lever. A high price is displayed, struck through and replaced with a lower one.
“The brain anchors itself to that first figure, so the new price feels like a victory, even if the product remains expensive,” Goldberg explains.
Purchase limits can be equally persuasive. A sign declaring “only four per customer” creates an impression of scarcity and exceptional value.
“The shopper may buy four items they did not need at all. The best defence is to ignore the excitement and compare the unit price – the price per 100 grams or per litre. That is the cold, hard mathematics behind the marketing.”
Loyalty programmes offer genuine relief when food prices are high, but the discount forms part of an exchange: customers provide data about what they buy and when.
“Use the discount to protect your wallet, but never allow the game or the chase for points to determine what enters your trolley,” Goldberg advises.
His strongest advice remains simple: eat before shopping, take a list and follow it, compare unit prices and look beyond the shelves at eye level.
“Every tactic works because it operates below our conscious awareness. The moment you can recognise it and name it, much of its power disappears.”
Prof. Roland Goldberg
