Like them or loathe them: big box stores are spreading across the retail landscape, and at least the foreseeable future, they’re here to stay. Indeed, even with the emergence of e-commerce, many big box retailers such as Costco, Home Depot and Walmart Superstores are expanding their footprint nationally and internationally.
However, even if you’re shopped at a big box retailer hundreds or maybe even thousands of times, there’s a very good chance that you don’t notice some important things — because, frankly, big box stores really would rather you didn’t have this information. But guess what? Here at My Press Plus we’re all about sharing useful content that improves your life — like buying guides, travel advice, and much more.
And so, without further delay here are seven things that big box stores don’t want you to know (but we certainly do!):
- They put deeply discounted items in front of the store, to create the false impression that amazing bargains are to be found throughout.
- They offer oversized carts, so you feel more comfortable filling them up. Or to put this another way, they want you to feel awkward, silly or embarrassed if you have a few items in a giant cart (like you’re shopping in Alice in Wonderland or something!).
- They move stuff around on a regular basis, so that you’ll go on a “treasure hunt” and end up buying stuff you didn’t know you needed (and probably don’t!).
- They load the checkout line with all kinds of low-cost impulse buys that easily fit on top of a crowded cart — everything from barbecue lighters to eyeglass repair kits.
- They put popular and essential items (e.g. produce, milk, electrical fuses, etc.) at the back of the store, so that you’re obligated to walk past many aisles to reach them — and hopefully buy more stuff than you planned on.
- They put pricier items at eye level, for the simple reason that many people don’t look up or down when putting stuff in their cart.
- They pipe in slow music (e.g. classical, easy listening, smooth jazz, etc.,), because studies have shown that this kind of audio influences people to shop more leisurely — which means they tend to buy more vs. less.
The Bottom Line
None of these tactics are against the law, and so if you’re deeply offended by them then, alas, you can’t call the Federal Trade Commission’s hosted call center to lodge a complaint. But what you can do is remain aware and stay in control. Good luck and happy shopping!