Supermarkets and discounters such as Aldi or Kaufland are true masters at manipulating their customers. It starts with the shopping cart, which skilfully tricks us:
For the customer, a supermarket or discounter simply consists of products and prices. Many people are not really aware of the psychology involved in such deals. Whether it's the use of mirrors, special lighting or the placement of the most expensive brands at eye level – stores like Aldi, Kaufland and Co. simply know how to manipulate their visitors unobtrusively. How much money you end up leaving in a store is also determined by whether you choose a basket or a shopping cart. HEIDELBERG24 reveals what nasty trick is behind them.
| Enterprise | Aldi |
| Belonging | Discount retail chain |
| Head office | Eat |
| Founder | Karl & Theo Albrecht |
| Turnover | USD 106.3 billion (2019) |
Aldi: These tricks are used to manipulate customers of shopping carts
Whether it's music in the store, sweets at the checkout or the positioning of baked goods – discounters like Aldi have planned exactly how they can get the most out of their customers. The shopping cart also plays a major role in this. These are usually really big and offer plenty of space. However, this has nothing to do with comfort, but with psychology. If a customer only puts a few products in the cart, it will appear pretty empty.
This is followed by the so-called "effort reflex", where you ask yourself the question: "Did I come here just for these few things? There's a little more to it." And bang – the car is suddenly full of things you didn't really want. If you then pay for the goods at a self-checkout, it can quickly become an "intelligence test".
This is how Aldi customers are tricked with shopping carts. (Symbolic photo) © Roland Weihrauch/dpa
Another nasty trick of the shopping cart is the shape. This is because the ground is not straight, but has a slope to the rear. While some customers think that this serves to optimize space, the reason behind it is completely different. The goods are supposed to slide so far back that the customer's gaze falls on the front area of the car, which suddenly appears empty. "As a result, we are no longer so aware of what we have already packed - and put even more into it," explains marketing expert Roger Rankel in an interview with Focus Online. By the way, Aldi, Kaufland, Lidl, Edeka and Rewe are currently fighting for the 2G rules in retail to fall.
Aldi: How to protect yourself from shopping cart manipulation
In order not to be manipulated by markets and discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Co., you might want to switch to a shopping basket. Of course, it is also advisable to bring a shopping list with you so that you don't get distracted so quickly. However, shopping carts also have an extremely useful and yet little-known trick to offer. For example, the hook in the middle of the child seat is used to hang the fruit bags. These are then separated from the rest of the goods and cannot be crushed under the heavy purchases. (ie) HEIDELBERG24 is a service provided by IPPEN. MEDIA.
