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Chapter 3 CART SMARTS: SHOPPING TO WIN THE GROCERY STORE GAME

The typical American household spends almost 14 cents of every dollar it earns on food. Although a portion of the money is spent on food eaten away from home, savvy supermarket shopping is one sure way to spend less and eat healthfully.

Your choice of a shopping site depends on your time and saving priorities. The smartest shoppers often visit a combination of markets: the warehouse club once a month to stock up on nonperishable staples in large sizes, the supercenter to find the best everyday prices, and the regular supermarket to save time.

Supermarkets are case studies in smart selling. In fact, grocery carts were invented because customers had a tendency to stop shopping when their baskets became too full or too heavy. This chapter will help you win the grocery store game by outlining simple shopping strategies to slash your grocery bill.

SHOPPING FOR A SUPERMARKET

The corner market is no longer the only place to spend your food dollars. Location and convenience are important factors in selecting a store because most of us visit our supermarket at least once a week. However, it pays to know about the other options in the marketplace so that you can choose the one that offers you the most savings, based on your shopping style and priorities.

Once you select your shopping site, join the shoppers’club if your store has one. As a member, you’ll receive a card that entitles you to automatic discounts or access to unadvertised, members-only specials.

Food Co-op

A food co-op is one option for near-wholesale prices on grains, beans, and other bulk foods. But regular supermarkets, supercenters, and warehouse clubs are more commonly available.

Regular Supermarket

The regular supermarket is the choice of almost 85% of shoppers. Everyday prices may be higher than at larger superstores, but specials and store brands are abundant. The supermarket’s smaller scale means faster shopping. That can save both time and money because more time in the grocery store usually adds up to a larger grocery bill. Research from the Food Marketing Institute shows that shoppers spend close to $2 for every extra minute in the market.

Supercenter

The supercenter combines a grocery store, a pharmacy, a florist, and other merchandise under one huge roof-they’re often the size of six or seven typical supermarkets. Supercenters have a tremendous selection of items in most grocery categories. They tend to have low everyday prices and may even offer to match the weekly specials found in regular supermarkets.

Supercenters have many price advantages because of their size, but shopping in them is more time-consuming and challenging. Because they must be built on a large plot of undeveloped land, they are often located away from residential neighborhoods.

Warehouse Club

The warehouse club is a no-frills approach to food shopping. It offers minimal service, with few advertisements and a stark shopping environment. It typically charges an annual membership fee (although many provide a free one day pass). While the supercenter offers a wide variety of items, the warehouse club has few choices of brands or sizes within brands. Shoppers are offered mass quantities of food, such as 5-pound boxes of crackers or cases of canned pears, at low prices. This may be a good way to stock up on staples if you have the storage space. However, a gallon tub of mayonnaise is not a good buy if it spoils before you can use it all.

What will food shoppers face in the future? In addition to the now-familiar self-checkout kiosks, a number of supermarkets are testing high-tech gadgets such as a combination hand-held barcode reader and wireless shopping cart computer that enables a shopper to scan groceries as they are placed in the cart while the computer keeps a running tally of purchases, offering appropriate instant discount coupons for items right on the spot. Kiosks next to the deli counter let customers preorder their deli items and pick them up later. By making shopping faster and easier, supermarket operators hope to build customer loyalty.

SHOPPING FOR SINGLES

According to the most recent U.S. Census information, almost 10% of the country’s total population lives alone. Here are some tips for single shoppers to maximize food dollars at the grocery store:

Buy frozen fruit and vegetables in bags so you can use only what you need and freeze the rest.

Look for foods sold in single servings, such as juice, yogurt, frozen meals, soup, and pudding. Better yet, buy the lower priced larger versions and make your own single-serving items.

Shopping from the bulk bins will enable you to buy smaller amounts.

The butcher or produce manager can assist you by packaging smaller amounts of prepackaged items.

Produce that keeps longer in the refrigerator may be a good choice: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrots.

When you buy a loaf of bread, take out what you’ll need for the week, then wrap and freeze the rest.

HOW DOES YOUR SHOPPING STACK UP?

Take this quick quiz to determine if you’re a savvy shopper!

1. Do you shop alone? The more the merrier….except in the grocery store. Shopping with extra people means extra food in the cart and extra dollars spent at checkout. Consumers who shop alone are more likely to stick with their shopping list.

2. Do you shop when you’re hungry? Rather than being inspired, you could find yourself tossing an extra snack or two into the grocery basket if you’re famished. A small snack before you shop may help avoid temptation.

3. What time of day do you shop? Shop early in the day if you can. Tired shoppers are more inclined to buy on impulse and make poor food choices. Set a routine. Establish a day and time when it is easy for you to move quickly through the store, staying focused on your shopping needs.

4. Do you shop from a list? Planning your meals for the week and writing a list of ingredients you need will make it possible for you to avoid buying costly impulse items. Use the “Ready, Set, Shop! Shopping List” from Chapter 2 to organize your next shopping expedition.

5. Do you buy generic store brands? Grocery stores often obtain their generic brands from exactly the same manufacturer of their regular brands. You can save at least $0.20 to $0.30 for every dollar you spend on generic versions of store brand products.

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

Don’t leave home for a shopping trip without planning. The smartest shoppers shrink grocery bills before they even set foot in the store.

Make a Plan

Use the tips in Chapter 2 to plan your menus for the week based on what you already have on hand, leftovers, sales, and coupon/rebate items. Minimize the number of trips you make to the store each week.

Neatness Counts

Keep your refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets organized so you don’t buy food you already have.

Be a List Lover

Plan your shopping trip by making a list of what you’ll need for the week’s menu and stick with it! If you shop without a list, you are more apt to make impulse buys. Picking up an extra two or three items on a shopping trip can add up to $5 to $10 a week-that’s $260 to $520 a year in extra spending!

To save minutes as well as money, organize your list to match the aisle-by-aisle layout of your favorite grocery store. Research shows that the more efficiently you make your way through the store, the less you’ll spend.

Check Out the Specials

Supermarkets frequently offer “loss leaders.” These are heavily advertised low-profit items designed to lure you into the store. Check store ads and fliers for sales and specials. Keep a price notebook listing the items you buy regularly and their typical prices. Note what’s on sale. Your notes will serve as a guide to the week’s best buys.