Any trading network is created to make a profit, one of the methods to increase sales and stimulate sales is to hold promotions and sweepstakes. Various offers are made to the consumer, the most popular format, to which the buyer actively responds, is the "1 + 1" promotion - when buying a product, the second is given free of charge. It would seem that the offer is profitable, but if you think about it, calculate and carefully read the conditions of the action, you will have to admit that behind all the fuss hides a banal deception.
Decoding "generosity"
Promotions of this kind are designed for consumers who do not have the habit or time to understand the essence of the offer and the intricacies of marketing activities. In fact, not a single retail outlet, and even more so a chain of stores, will not work at a loss or sell for nothing the manufacturer's promotional product.
Most often, the consumer does not know the true background of the action and therefore acts according to his own convictions about how it should be implemented. In fact, the following may occur:
- The customer goes to the supermarket to shop.
- Typing the usual list of products into the basket, among other things, he takes 2 cans of sour cream, because he notices the price tag on which it says: "Promotion" 1 + 1 ", which, as a standard, without mentioning the name of the product, offers to buy one unit of the product in order to get the second product is free.
- At the checkout, the entire list of purchases is made through the check and the buyer can see that the payment was made for two cans of sour cream - that is, the promotion either does not work, or the cashier made a mistake.
- In most cases, the consumer rarely pays attention to what is written on the check. But if a person is vigilant and realizes that the promotional product got to him at a standard price, he will begin to deal with the cashier or with the administrator.
- At this stage, discoveries begin. Inevitably, it turns out that somewhere in the store are booklets in which it is written in Russian and white that the second promotional item is disposable napkins, shaving cream samples or a set of pins. That is, goods that are in low demand.
- The most unpleasant fact is that there is no information on the terms of the "1 + 1" promotion on the price tags, and the time frame for the "generous" offer is not indicated.
- Store administrators will try to convince an outraged customer that their goal was to bring joy, not a desire to deceive the consumer. Moreover, the booklets with the conditions of the action are right next to the cashier.
A buyer who does not want to play the games of marketers will insist on a refund for the second item purchased at full price. Also, the right of any citizen is the requirement to change the price tags on goods participating in promotions, where the administration is obliged to indicate full information about the conditions of the offer. Or simply delete incorrect information.
Standard example
Promotional video:
Manipulations with promotional offers can most often be found in popular retail chains, for example, in Magnet, Pyaterochka, etc. The daily flow of visitors in these stores is great, so every customer needs to know about the methods of deception in order to be ready to defend their right.
The situation is most likely to develop according to one scenario. Consider a simple example: a housewife decided to purchase laundry detergent from a store. For a purchase, she went to the household chemicals department, where she saw that a yellow price tag was hanging next to the powder she needed, on which was written "Action" 1 + 1 ". The first and only assumption of the buyer will be the decision that the same goods are participating in the action, which means that when purchasing 1 pack of powder, the second is given free of charge. Of course, she took two packets of powder, paid at the checkout and, looking at the check, saw that she had paid for 2 packs of powder at full cost.
Contacting the cashier had no effect, so the administrator was called. During the negotiations, it turned out that the second promotional item that could be taken for free was a kitchen sponge for dishes. The woman managed to get her money back for the second pack of powder, and also insisted that the yellow price tags misleading the consumer were eliminated.
What can be done
A consumer who goes shopping in a store should remember that any action is not aimed at his benefit, but at increasing the profit of the outlet. Most stocks are legitimate ways of taking hard-earned money from a buyer for the benefit of the store owners.
In order not to be deceived, it is worth adhering to some rules:
- Check receipts without leaving the checkout counter, especially if a purchase was made for a product participating in the promotion.
- Before taking a product marked with a yellow price tag from the shelf, study the price tag itself, find the conditions of the promotion to find out which second product is offered for free. Compare the crossed out price and declared as a promotion, there are times when the promotion is higher than the standard value.
- Don't expect the seller to tell you the truth - their job is to sell the product, not help the buyer.
With careful attention to the shopping process and self-confidence, you can easily defend your rights.
Knowledgeable means armed
In addition to the popular offer to get something for free by paying for just one item, there are many marketing gimmicks that make the consumer lose their guard, relax and spend more money in the store than planned. Very often, many fellow citizens run into the supermarket for bread, and come out with a bag full of groceries, and the fault is the customer's compliance.
Common Trade Clearance Tricks:
- Modern retail chains, by stimulating sales, try to influence the senses. One of the most effective ways to get a person to make a purchase is the atmosphere, and smell becomes the first tool. A person gives slack, responding to the smell of fresh baked goods, in which notes of cinnamon and vanilla are heard, and skillfully illuminated showcases demonstrate the amazing beauty and appetizing of buns, pastries, and cakes. A rare customer leaves the confectionery department empty-handed. Knowledgeable people are constantly reminded to go shopping after a hearty lunch.
- Sound accompaniment. Music is almost always played in stores. Its rhythm can be either measuredly meditative, or beat three-quarters, in the rhythm of an incendiary disco. A fast and decisive rhythm stimulates a person to make spontaneous purchases, and slow sounds lull the attention and blur consciousness, as a result, the number of products in the basket will be much larger than planned. Experts advise wearing headphones.
- According to some studies, people are more willing to go to stores with facades painted in warm shades, but inside they will have a cold space - walls and floors can be blue, light blue, gray, that is, a cold color scheme. This combination baffles the subconscious. Wanting to compensate for the loss of a pleasant experience, the buyer makes a big expense.
Loyalty is about store profits
Any person is pleased to feel care and attention to their person. By knowing some of the psychological triggers, marketers have made them work for the benefit of sales.
How do you lure the buyer? Discount cards. Loyalty programs work only for the store, not for the customer. First, when choosing which supermarket to go to, most often the consumer will make a choice in favor of the one whose card is at his disposal. Secondly, due to the fact that purchases are recorded on the card, the store will make offers to push them to buy even more.
Let's say your standard shopping cart includes a specific type of coffee - you will be made an individual offer to purchase three packs of coffee for 1000 rubles with the opportunity to receive a 15% discount. Who benefits from this offer? Definitely - to the store, because you will buy three packs at once and pay immediately, and not within two or three weeks.
Placing goods on the shelf - there are several tricks here. At the level of the eyes of an adult, more expensive goods will be beautifully and neatly laid out, low-value goods will be piled or stored at the bottom and on the upper levels. It is uncomfortable for a person to reach out, bend over, or sit down to inspect goods that are out of comfortable reach.
The second trick is to lay out a fresher product in the back of the shelf, from where it is very inconvenient to get milk, cottage cheese, because the same product is available ahead, but often its shelf life is critical or already expired.
Before payback
The last outpost for spending is the spontaneous purchase racks at the checkouts. In a narrow space, not the most necessary, but brightly packaged goods are placed - chocolate, jelly candies, wet wipes, glue, toothbrushes, etc.
Standing in line at the checkout, a person is already tired and relaxed, so many often decide to buy something pleasant as a reward - instant coffee in bags, a cute ballpoint pen, and a chocolate egg with a surprise or a small toy for a child. An additional waste is the offer of the cashier to take a box of matches, a pack of napkins, etc. instead of change for change.
The list of marketing gimmicks can be continued, but if you grasp the meaning and patterns, then it is very easy to stop responding to manipulations. They say that no marketer can do anything against a man armed with a list and a tight budget.
Well-established traditions
Stocks can be viewed as beautifully packaged deceit, but the trade does not forget about the centuries-proven ways to deceive the buyer. The modern consumer can face many unpleasant surprises. The tradition of underweight is not a thing of the past. When buying vegetables, it is more practical to choose, put in a bag and weigh them yourself. Store-packed items are often lighter in actual weight but still at full cost. For example, instead of 1 kg of potatoes, the package may contain 900 grams, but the cost will be indicated for 1 kg of the product.
The desire to sell a product generates such a dubious category as "second freshness". Most often, products with an expired shelf life will await the buyer in the form of slices aesthetically laid out on a plastic tray. The goods are packed in stretch film, marked with the date of packaging, but not the expiration date. If the goods are not sold out, then the stretch will be changed to fresh and a new date will be pasted. Experts recommend purchasing vacuum-packed goods prepackaged at the factory.
The popular sales at the end of each season have a dubious background. Rarely does a store approach the issue honestly, most often two weeks before the start of the promotion, prices for collections of goods rise exactly by the amount of the future discount. After the due date, the buyer expects an "amazing offer", but in fact the price tag is reduced to a standard value.
Gullibility test
A lot of troubles are delivered to the buyer by the tricks of the store associated with the internal problems of the trading platform. For example, clearly spoiled goods are laid out in the hall, charging a very low price. The store strives to get rid of products that have been damaged during transportation, sour due to improper storage, etc. The benefit for the consumer is highly questionable, but for the supermarket there is a clear profit in this.
After the inventory in the store, a shortage is often revealed; most retail chains seek to cover it at the expense of customers. This is done trivially - an extra commodity item breaks through the check. If there were a lot of purchases, then there is a chance that a person will not scrupulously check the kilometer bill.
Quite often vigilant citizens talk about price tag manipulation. For example, one price is indicated on the shelf, and another price breaks through at the checkout - higher. Sellers and cashiers justify themselves by not having time to change the price tags. The buyer can demand either a refund or the purchase at the price that he counted on near the store shelf.
One of the dubious products in the supermarket is frozen and ice-glazed foods - vegetables, seafood, fish. They have to be weighed frozen, naturally together with ice. After defrosting, instead of 1 kilogram of fish, the buyer receives only 600 grams. If there is a similar product next to it, but without ice, it is better to give preference to a high price tag, but not to pay for frozen water.
Politikova Tatiana
