Oranges are one of the most common yet delicious fruits you’ll find at the grocery store. They are available in more varieties than you can count and are grown on various continents around the globe. Have you ever noticed that these fruits are often sold in red mesh bags? It turns out there’s a simple explanation for this. Aside from allowing them to aerate, the red mesh bag has another use. The red bag creates the illusion that the oranges are more orange than they actually are. This is just one of many sneaky grocery store tactics to get you to buy more. Read on to learn more about the humble orange and other sneaky grocery store tactics.
Oranges around the World
Oranges are known to be high in Vitamin C. Moreover, they’re popular for freshly squeezed juice or as a healthy snack. However, their origins date back thousands of years. Fascinatingly, the first oranges were grown in China around 4000 B.C. before making their way to India. Oranges were brought to Europe by the Portuguese around the 10th century. Surprisingly, the first oranges were rather sour, and Europeans didn’t get to taste sweet oranges until about 500 years later.
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Mapping out Grocery Stores
Oranges in red mesh bags aren’t the only tactic grocery stores use to appeal to customers. Another example is the layout of stores. Although this is a fairly well-known tactic and can be found in every grocery store, there are things that most people likely don’t consider. Essentials like eggs and butter are intentionally placed at the back of the store. This is so patrons are required to walk by a number of other products, encouraging “impulse” purchases. Furthermore, it is for a similar reason that grocery stores that stores will often rearrange their products. Patrons then have to search aisles, seeing more of what’s available for purchase, even if it’s a store with which the shopper is already familiar.
Similarly, to understand why stores are set up the way they are, it’s also important to know where the best and freshest products are located. It’s been suggested to check the deli or butcher department for things like meat rather than buying them upfront. Stores will place older products like those in the refrigerator section into coolers in the front. Inevitably, it catches the eye of all shoppers because there’s usually only one way in and one way out in grocery stores.
Samples and Treats
Another tactic used by grocery stores are free samples. Everyone loves things that are free, even if just to give them a try. However, the idea is that you’ll be so enamored that you’ll have to seek out the product, both adding something to your grocery bill that you didn’t set out to purchase and forcing you to walk up and down more aisles, looking at other products along the way.
Furthermore, baked goods and flowers are generally at or near the front as another way to promote higher spending. It turns out that because they both smell fragrant and appealing, they actually act as an appetite stimulant. Therefore, customers are likely to get hungrier while walking through the store.
Although some eggs are marketed as “free range,” it turns out that it’s a bit of a misconception to assume these chickens are kept in a “cage free” environment. In many cases, this just means they have larger cages to “freely roam.”
Combatting Persistence
In today’s economy, it’s becoming more and more important to save money whenever possible. However, with stores and companies out to make profits, it can be hard to feel ahead of monthly expenses. Some simple methods, such as writing and sticking to a grocery list or meal planning for the week, can be advantageous. This ensures you buy only the foods you’ll need to get through until the next grocery store run.
Oranges and other produce can be found on sale when it’s close to time for a new delivery. However, using coupons is another great way to cut costs. Even when it doesn’t seem like anything is marked on clearance at the store. Coupons are often a great way to save money while buying everything needed to feed a family. In fact, Extreme Couponing is a documentary based on people who’ve actually gotten cash back or free groceries just based on their ability to coupon.
Eating before grocery shopping is another good way to ensure you don’t spend more than you need to. However, it’s easy to do just because everything sounds good at that moment. It’s also a good idea to use smaller shopping carts or hand carts to avoid overshopping and wasting money.
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Sources
- “Miracle Fruit.” Britannica Aug 25, 2023
- “10 fun facts you didn’t know about oranges.” A Better Choice. August 26, 2019.
- “40 interesting facts about oranges.” 100 Facts
- “How to Save Money on Groceries with These 50 Supermarket Tricks.” Reader’s Digest Erica Finamore. August 31, 2023.
- “Naringenin and the Liver.” Science Direct E. Hernández-Aquino and P. Muriel. 2017
- “15 Ways Grocery Stores Trick You Into Spending More.” Eat This Jennifer Hussein November 6, 2020.
- “Can You Eat Orange Peels, and Should You?” Healthline. Kelli McGrane. 2021.
- “5 Ways You’re Being Set Up by Your Supermarket.” Food Network. Teri Tsang Barrett