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Supermarket Sales Techniques

Supermarkets have become experts over the years at getting us to buy more than we intended, and getting us to buy items we really didn't need. The sales techniques used are subtle, and often reflect a symbiotic relationship with the account holder. The account holder gives them information they can use in their marketing plans, and they give the account holder some discounts or special offers.

The sales techniques outlined below are just some of the methods supermarkets use to increase sales of targetted products, and increase market share against their competitors.

BOGOF – Buy One Get One Free

Supermarket sales techniques This option has been around for some time, and customers are used to it now. The BOGOF option may be a loss leader, with the price artificially low to bring in customers. It may be a temporary or permanent good offer, where the retailer is making a profit, and the customer is getting a bargain.

The BOGOF offer usually applies to cheaper household commodities that can be bought in bulk and are used by a wide number of customers. Make use of them where they exist, but don’t buy items you don’t need just because they ‘on offer’. Check the amount of money you are saving and judge whether you will use the extra items.

Bait and Switch

The Bait and Switch technique can be legal or illegal depending on how it is done. The principle is that the customer is offered one product at a low price, the bait, but is convinced to buy another higher priced product, the switch. The process can be illegal where, for instance, the lower priced product was advertised but never existed. It may be used legally where the there are a limited number of bait items which are replaced by a higher cost alternative when they are sold out. In supermarkets, the bait may be a special offer such as a BOGOF in the power isle, which has beside it a more expensive, but better quality, option. It’s a common feature of ‘sales’ in the retail world that the volume of all products sold increases, not just the items on offer. In a Bait and Switch world, if you can spot it, at least you can make an informed judgement whether you want to buy the item al all.

Loyalty Cards

The use of loyalty cards has become a central feature in supermarket sales and promotion techniques. Most people become attached to their ‘local’ supermarket, if only by proximity, and only shop in different supermarkets as an occasional special event or visit. It is therefore easier to persuade existing customers to spend more money, than to attract new customers. Loyalty cards do two things for supermarkets – they provide data on each customer, including their household background information and their choice of product over time, and they provide a sales channel for special offers and marketing strategies. Some people are very sensitive about giving supermarkets this information on their background and buying patterns. Others don’t care, and are happy to accept the offers. The important thing is that you make an informed choice.

When applying for a loyalty card, be sure to find out what happens to the data. Is there an 'opt out' tick box where you can specify you don't wish to receive offers from other companies? You may find that the information you give on the number of household members and job status is used to sell you insurance, loans and mortgages, so be careful not to give more information than is necessary.