Shop Smart ; Learn Grocery Tricks of the Trade and Save

I get quite a few phone calls from readers complaining about supermarkets. They vent about long checkout lines, confusing instructions on self-scanners, products that aren’t in stock and – No. 1 on the list of woes – being overcharged. The overcharge usually isn’t discovered until the shopper gets home, and then she has to decide whether righting the wrong is worth another trip to the store.

Consumer Reports has taken it a step further. A series of stories in the October issue lists the results of a grocery survey of 24,000 readers. In the magazine survey, 30 percent of respondents griped about closed checkouts, 16 percent about congested aisles and 11 percent about out-of-stock advertised specials. Fully 42 percent said they switched stores because of these problems.

The perfect grocery store doesn’t exist, warns the magazine. If you’re looking for low prices, expect to find lackluster service, long checkout lines and mediocre produce. If you want good service, plan to pay more.

The magazine gives tips for navigating supermarket aisles. They include:

* Be aware of product placement. By placing salsa and chips in the produce section instead of the snack aisle, it imparts a “health halo,” making you more likely to buy.

* Compare prices within the store. At one supermarket, the magazine found packaged Jarlsberg cheese in the dairy case for $3.99. The same cheese, sliced, was $7.99 at the deli counter.

* Be aware of color. Black packaging gives the impression of luxury, while bright yellow says no-frills. Green conveys “healthy, low-fat and environmentally friendly,” while red suggests a discount or sale. Blue often is used on beer cans because it says “cold, crisp and refreshing.” Don’t let the hues fool you.

* Understand the rhetoric. When a sign advertises 10 cans of soup for $10, it may not require you to buy 10 cans to get the discount. The sign plants a number in your head, encouraging you to buy a lot.

* Compare unit prices. Larger containers are not always more economical. Based on studies, the Federal Trade Commission warns that canned tuna, peanut butter, ketchup, canned coffee and frozen orange juice often turn out to be costlier in larger containers.

* Assess the “fourth wall.” That refers to the front of the store, site of profitable lottery machines, coin sorters, vending machines and seasonal merchandise. Sometimes full-priced goods are placed there alongside sale items, imparting a subtle inference that all of the goods are on sale.

* Watch the register display. Seven percent of Consumer Reports survey respondents said scanners got the total wrong. Try to keep an eye on the display as you check out; look at your receipt before you leave the store to catch errors. The magazine recommends reporting a pattern of mistakes to the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) or state attorney general.

* Look up and down. Prime selling space is the middle – or eye- level – shelving, which typically carries higher-priced products. Top and bottom shelves are where you’ll find low-profit items like sugar and shortening, as well as bargain-priced store brands.

* Consider organics. Consumer Reports says it’s worth paying extra for some organics. To minimize exposure to chemicals, it recommends buying organic apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, pears, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, spinach and strawberries. To minimize exposure to potential toxins in nonorganic feed, it suggests sticking with organic meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs.

* Weigh the cost of convenience. At one food store, the magazine found watermelon quarters for 99 cents per pound and cut-up chunks for $3.99. Bagged lettuce is more than a head of iceberg. Single- serving sizes are costlier than big bags or boxes.

* Be aware of “loss leaders”: Many stores advertise a few low- cost products each week to draw you in. Once you’re inside, they’re hoping you’ll pick up some higher-priced items. Plan your trip accordingly.

* Buy store brands. Store brands are cheaper by an average of 26 to 28 percent, and sometimes by as much as 50 percent. In a test of 65 products – including facial tissues, paper towels, yogurt, plastic food bags, frozen french fries and canned peaches – the magazine found many store brands were at least as high in quality as the national brands. And 64 percent of readers reported they were highly satisfied with their store’s brands.

On another topic, the magazine asked readers to rate their grocery stores on service, perishables, price and cleanliness. The top five chains, in order, were Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Publix, Raley’s and Whole Foods.

Of companies with outlets in Springfield, the highest rated was Aldi, which came in at No. 15. Cub Foods was No. 17, Schnucks was No. 18, IGA was No. 27, Meijer was No. 28, Sam’s Club was No. 31, Jewel-Osco was No. 38 and Wal-Mart Supercenter was No. 45. A total of 54 grocery chains were rated.

(c) 2006 State Journal Register. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.