Supermarkets employ a variety of phycological tools to subconsciously encourage consumers to purchase a certain product. They achieve this by utilising behavioural economics which is an area of study which combines psychology and economics. While traditional economics make certain assumptions on consumer behaviour to simplify the complex minds of consumer, such as all consumers making independent and completely rational decisions, behavioural economics studies real human behaviour and why we tend to make certain decisions that may not seem rational.
Once example of applied behavioural economics used in supermarkets and by brands all around the world is framing. Framing essentially refers to placing a product in the best light possible. For example a product may be advertised as 95% fat free as opposed to 5%. In this case the higher, more positive number appears more appealing to the customer, making the product more attractive. While both statements are factual and identical in what they are suggesting, consumers lack of rational thinking in this scenario benefits the brand which is selling the product as well as the supermarket in which the product is sold.
Another very critical element used in supermarkets to attract customers towards a certain product, is shelf placing. Traditional economics would assume the consumer has unbounded rationality and would therefore assess all available options no matter where on the shelf they may be. However as customers often do not possess the time or mental capacity to assess every available option, they often only see those products which find themselves at the eye level of that consumer. In fact, the eye level position on shelves is so beneficial to a products sales, companies pay extra for their product to be placed in a prime spot. This is why well-known brands often find themselves at eye-level, whereas the lesser-known or home-brands are usually located in the bottom or top shelves.
This abundant manipulation of consumers psychological habits and subconscious decision making, allows companies to cleverly market their products to achieve optimal sale numbers, without actually improving their product. While this benefits the product and the supermarket in which it sold, human’s tendency to make emotional and irrational choices are taken advantage of, resulting in consumers possibly not purchasing the best product for them in terms of quality, but the one that was marketed the best by a certain company. As the world becomes more and more commercial companies will most likely continue exploiting humans complex system of thinking instead of improving their products.
Sources:
https://food.ndtv.com/opinions/how-supermarkets-trick-you-into-buying-more-743812
Year 11 MHS Economics 2020 
Very interesting Emil! I can’t lie,, I have fallen for these tricks.
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