SIX ways SA supermarkets trick you into spending MORE

We get it, SA supermarkets need to make a buck just like everyone else. But a new report from JustMoney has revealed some of the more subtle tricks retailers play to keep you spending money. Perhaps you recognise them, perhaps you’re only noticing some of them for the first time. But armed with this information you can at least make better choices next time you’re shopping …

1. SA SUPERMARKETS LOVE 3-FOR-2 SALES

The most effective is the three-for-two sales price, says JustMoney’s Sarah Nicholson. However, often these deals start from an already inflated original price. Therefore, the advertised saving frequently isn’t a real saving at all and you’re simply buying three items when you probably only wanted one. So, always check the actual unit price before trusting the three-for-two promo. It’s a way to manufacture urgency in the shopper where none actually exists.

2. STAPLES HIDDEN ON PURPOSE

SA supermarkets love to hide staples like bread and milk deep in the store on purpose. They want to create an atmosphere like a casino, where you might lose track of the exits. While it might seem like lazy or inefficient design, it is actually all planned.

Retailers force you past dozens of tempting aisles first. Every extra metre walked is another chance to grab something unplanned.

3. YOUR NOSE IS BEING MANIPULATED

Coffee, flowers and fresh bakery smells aren’t accidents of geography. Scent marketing in SA supermarkets puts shoppers in a generous, relaxed mood. And that mood translates directly into a fuller trolley at checkout.

Same deal in the home cleaning aisles. Music tempo gets the same engineered treatment throughout the store. Although those old-school easy-listening tracks often send us running!

4. EYE LEVEL COSTS BRANDS REAL MONEY

Prime eye-level shelf space at SA supermarkets isn’t random either. Manufacturers pay retailers handsomely to sit exactly where your gaze lands first. Children get their own version of this trick. Cereal boxes and sweets sit low down, right at toddler eye level. As a result, your preferred (and cheaper) brand might hard to find on purpose.

5. TROLLEYS ARE TOO BIG

Trolley sizes have more than doubled over the past two decades. An empty trolley creates subtle discomfort shoppers don’t perhaps consciously recognise, but it’s there.

Your brain pushes you to fill that visibly empty space until it looks full. Instead, if you’re just grabbing a few items, use a hand basket instead for a controlled trip.

6. CHECKOUT IS A TRAP

Finally, you’re in the checkout queue, but there’s still danger. Those chocolates and chips lining the till point aren’t just for decoration. They’re positioned to catch you bored and waiting.

Nicholson calls these classic impulse triggers, easy and convenient to grab. You didn’t plan to buy them, but because they’re there … why not!

IN CONCLUSION

Trade Intelligence data shows South African food baskets cost 69% more than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. And less than half of SA consumers rate their finances as stable in 2026.

So, fight back by sticking to a strict list and a firm budget and you won’t fall for these clever tricks again …

But what do you think? Are SA supermarkets being cynical? Or is it up to the shopper to avoid these tactics? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …