One of my girlfriend works in a popular Russian supermarket. Once, over a cup of tea, we started talking with her about work and smoothly moved on to how shoppers cheat on customers trying to sell them “profitable” products for large shares. Frankly, I was familiar with some methods of deception earlier, but certain things surprised me indescribably. Next, I will share the most striking and sometimes too arrogant ways of deceiving our brother, which, as I understand it, are used in all supermarket chains in Russia.
Re-sticking price tags
To immediately greatly shock the audience, I will start with the simplest technique of cheating customers - banal re-sticking of price tags. The trick of this trick is that on top of the main price is attached a "very favorable promotional" price at which you can buy a product only today.
What does the seller expect in this case? Of course, the fact that the buyer does not track the value of the goods and, having seen the red or yellow price tag, will take a “share”, buying as many profitable goods as possible (in some cases even for the future).
Don't want to fall for a trick? Just pick the promotional price tag with your fingernail - most likely, an unpleasant, but rather funny surprise awaits you under it. By the way, in the photo below, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the special arrogance of the store when goods are sold at a "promotional" price that previously cost 200 rubles cheaper. Too shy to ask: when will the action be? By the way, this photo is a confirmation that they cheat not only in grocery supermarkets, but also in other stores, because, if you noticed, the price tag manipulation was checked in a clothing store.
A few low value items
This is another common cheating scheme for people who have trouble counting. Such deception consists in the offer to buy two or three goods of the same type at a "very favorable" price or in order to obtain a discount. In fact, after a simple calculation, it turns out that the savings are ridiculous - about 5-10 rubles.
It is worth noting that such a trick is widely applied to all groups of goods, so when buying such a "promotional" kit, be at least a little vigilant - get a calculator and calculate your real benefit. Perhaps the purchase is not worth it at all?
Discount announcement ... for one product
“Insanely favorable price” for one product is already a sale. This rule is guided by many domestic supermarkets (and not only them). The essence of the fraud is to announce a sale, in which only one product will be presented at a discount. In fact, the store does not violate anything, because there really are favorable prices, only buyers who are seduced by a bright offer, are then disappointed with the choice of cheap products, but there is nothing to do - you need to take everything else, once you have arrived!
Two price tags with different prices
One of the arrogant forms of cheating customers is considered to be the presentation of two price tags with different values. What is the essence of deception?
At one point, the store announces a big sale and puts out a whole series of products that show ... two price tags, and the price for them varies significantly. A naive buyer, once again glancing at the “Sale” sign at the entrance, is speculating that its price is lower. But no! At the checkout they get goods at a higher cost, and the client either does not notice this, or simply is silent, believing that he simply did not understand something. By the way, in some cases, the buyer already wants to become the owner of the product so much that agrees to buy it at a higher price.
Reducing the cost of slow-moving goods
In any category of goods there are positions that are in great demand, as well as those that buyers do not care about. Sly sellers very often turn everything in their favor, exhibiting slow-moving goods at a very attractive price. Having seen a pleasant discount, the client picks up a product for himself, goes to the cashier, and then it turns out that a position that suits him is sold at the usual price, and the promotion applies only to similar goods (for example, slippers of the 35th and 36th sizes only) . There is nothing to do - a person who is already using his thing in his mind agrees to purchase it at a different, higher price. I’ll tell you that in reality few decide to put such a product in its place - the store owners are counting on this.
Preliminary overpricing
Many Russians are also familiar with this scheme. It is very often applied to goods that will be in demand on certain holiday dates. The essence of deception is the deliberate overpricing with its subsequent reduction to the initial cost during the holiday period.
By the way, some sellers arrange "total sales" in this way, within the framework of which they promise discounts of 50-90% (though only for the most slow-moving and stale goods that can be thrown away). With this trick, they manage to attract the attention of buyers, who will sweep away from the shelves the rest of the goods presented on “favorable” terms.
Yes, indeed, such a trick works in all stores. Before March 8, I personally watched how Chanel toilet water, which cost 6299 rubles, suddenly went up to 7560. Literally 4 days before the holiday, in which it became a very popular product, a crazy 40% discount was announced on it, which men who wished to make such an expensive present to their women were right away. The number "40" greatly pleased the eyes of customers, only none of them knew that in fact the store gave them 28% of the cost of perfumes. However, this is not the worst deception that occurs in Russian stores: at least they made some discounts, and thank you for that, because there are frank, excuse me, “divorces” visible to the naked eye.
The accumulation of price tags
A friend said that in their supermarket quite often an easy form of deception is practiced - placing all the price tags in one heap. It is worth noting that on top of all this there are labels with the most pleasant prices, and expensive goods are hidden away. The client, counting on the fact that similar products are in the same price category, takes the position he needs, but at the checkout it turns out that it costs much more. But there is nothing to do - you have to take it!
Practice shows that a rare customer is standing at the counter and looking for matches. Few people suspect that in this phenomenon, which is attributed to the awkwardness of the staff, there is a big deception on which the owners of supermarkets earn tens and hundreds of thousands of rubles. By the way, there is nowhere to make a claim in this case, and there’s nothing at all: there are actually prices on the shelves, no one bothers looking for them. Who is to blame that the buyer is so lazy? Only him.
Big confusion
Another common form of fraud is price confusion, which every customer is subject to. They create it by placing one price tag over another, so that the real value of the goods is as difficult to determine as possible. If the buyer is inattentive, then he will not pay attention to this at all.
Practice shows that, having discovered a different cost of goods, standing at the checkout, a rare customer will refuse to buy it. True, a friend said that there are people who, having discovered a fraud, not only refuse to buy, but also begin to curse with the cashier. In my opinion, they all do the right thing.
