I’m a shopping guru – the tactics Boots & Superdrug use to make you to spend more & why 99p deals are not a bargain
IF you've ever found yourself leaving Boots or Superdrug with a bag full of items you didn't really need - and tens of pounds worse off than before entering the store - you're not alone.
But with millions of families cutting back on showers and eating lower-quality food to make ends meet, saving money has never been more important.
And just like everyone else, beauty lovers too have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis that's gripped the nation.
However, despite having vowed to ourselves to spend less, many still find themselves leaving drugstore shops armed with piles of unnecessary beauty products - and having wasted more than they can afford to.
And no need to fool ourselves - a survey conducted back in 2020 showed that Brits collectively spend up to £1 billion every month on impulse buys alone.
So what is it about these stores that make us waste our hard-earned money on items we don't need?
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To find out, Fabulous spoke to Jenny McCormac, money and consumer expert at .
The ultimate layout
''Thanks to Covid and the implementation of one-way systems across many stores, retailers can use this as a bonus to get customers to spend more time in the shop.
''Customers now have no choice but to visit the whole store to get to what they want to buy, or even just to pay for their shopping, meaning the customer is more likely to stop throughout the aisles and add impulse purchases to their basket.''
It's not just the one-way system that ultimately results in you walking all across the store - the correct placement of products is also essential for retail companies.
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The whizz explained: ''Non-essential items are places towards the front of the store, whereas essential but perhaps less glamourous
products, such as first aid items and medicines are towards the back, forcing customers to weave through numerous aisles and become more likely to be tempted.''
Sharing her expertise, she went on: ''This method is also
used as an aide to make customers question items they potentially need.
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''For example, getting them to walk past the hair care aisle and think 'Do I need a new bottle of shampoo? I’ll get one just in case, while I’m here'.''
2-4-1 deals - a scam?
Like many stores, Boots and Superdrug are both also known for their never-ending stream of 2-4-1 deals.
But are these actually bargains to not miss or yet another sneaky way to get the customer to spend more?
Well, this, the expert, said depends on what the deal is.
''If, for example, the deal is for two shower gels that you know you will use, then this could be a good deal.
''However, be mindful that retailers often inflate the price of the item to cover the “free” item’s cost, so while you may think getting two products for the price of one is a saving, the usual cost is normally cheaper.''
She added: ''2-4-1 deals, in particular, also promote wastefulness by convincing you to buy larger quantities than you need, especially when items have a use-by date.''
If want to make your money go further, Jenny recommended to buy a larger item where you get more value per pence.
99p deals by the till
No visit to Superdrug or Boots is complete without being bombarded with dozens of ''This face mask is now just 99p, ma'am, would you like it?'' deals by the check-out.
''This is an example of “cross-selling,” a sales technique which involves the selling of an additional product to an existing customer,'' the guru explained.
But just like with the 2-4-1 deals, the value of these products depend on if you're actually going to use them.
''If you use face masks regularly and it’s reduced, then this is a saving worth investing in.
''If, however, you don’t then regardless of the reduced price then there isn’t really a point in buying it.''
The perfect shopping atmosphere
We recently learned about supermarkets wafting the scent of baked goods and rotisserie chicken to make the customer hungry - and thus more likely to stray away from the original shopping list.
And turns out, Boots and Superdrug also know how to create the perfect shopping atmosphere to get the customer to spend more.
''For example, some drugstores play upbeat and feel-good music to help put customers in a good mood, making them more likely to want to treat themselves to something they didn’t intend on buying.
''Other drugstores, however, don’t play music and instead opt for a more calming ambience, encouraging customers to shop at their own leisure and making them more likely to spend more time between the aisles.''
It's not just music - lighting plays a huge role too, she said.
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''Bright lights are associated with high energy and are known to have a positive impact on a store’s sales, as they are thought to trigger a higher and faster level of customer engagement.
''It is also thought that bright lights can speed up the pace at which customers make purchases, resulting in faster and more frequent impulse purchases.''