Supermarkets: Aisles of Persuasion

Winner of a Telly Award, this excellent program alerts viewers to various kinds of marketing used by supermarkets, offering tips on how to recognize the hype. Supermarkets: Aisles of Persuasion claims that the 35,000-plus supermarkets in the U.S. average around $500,000 a week, but for consumers, roughly 70 percent of those purchases are unplanned. Evolving from early trading posts and general stores, supermarkets arose because of several factors, including the baby boomer explosion, the emergence of suburban sprawl, and key advances in the packaged and frozen food industries. Drawn by the benefits of one-stop shopping and lured by traditional ads such as flyers and radio spots, consumers fall victim to much less obvious marketing tactics, such as manipulative store layouts (have you ever accidentally banged your cart into a seemingly-misplaced display?), cross-merchandising, the downsides of buy one/get one offers, and even product placement that correlates to the eye level of average adult height. Culminating with simple ideas about smart shopping choices, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: J, H, C, P. (J. Williams-Wood)