The Sneaky Reason Grocery Stores Have Cold Drinks In The Front
Whether or not we realize it, most grocery stores have a lot of tactics to get us to spend more time and money at their location. From strategically placing essentials at the back (cough, Costco, cough), to wafting delicious aromas of freshly baked bread around the store, grocery chains are going to do whatever they can to tickle your fancy (via AARP).
And the craziest part of this scheme? The moment you walk in the doors, you're hit with a dozen different marketing ploys, and this continues through every department, down every aisle, right up to the checkout line. Stores even go so far as to make their checkout lines narrow and well-stocked with candy bars and other inexpensive impulse items (via Lifehack).
As it turns out, those coolers of cold drinks placed near the checkout lines are also included in the "impulse buy" category. This might sound kind of weird at first, but think about it -– it does indeed make a whole lot of sense.
You'll be thirsty by time you reach the register
Unless you're only running into the grocery store to grab a couple items -– and really, when does that ever go to plan? –- you're probably going to be in there a while. You might go back and forth between generic and brand-name products. You might still be deciding what to fix for dinner. You might have even forgotten your grocery list at home. It's okay, we all make mistakes at the grocery store.
The point is that grocery stores count on you being there for a while, and they expect you to be thirsty by the time you reach the checkout line. This is exactly why stores place drink coolers at the front of the store. According to AARP, those cold drinks are going to look really good at first glance, but the price should be your first red flag. At most stores, a single bottle of Mountain Dew from the cooler is going to cost you around $2. However, for just under $4 at Walmart, you can get a six-pack. No matter how thirsty you are, it's more budget-friendly to get the six-pack and simply open a bottle when you get to your car.