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posted by LaminatorX on Wednesday July 15 2015, @06:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the illusion-of-choice dept.

Shoppers like to think they're in control of their own food decisions, but there's actually a complex web of manipulations between supermarkets and food processors going on behind the scenes.

Who's really in charge at the supermarket? Most of us assume that we're in control of our own shopping decisions. After all, we are the ones with a grocery list in one hand and a wallet in the other. It should be that way. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) doesn't believe it's so. Most shoppers, even the most conscientious and frugal, can fall victim to the manipulations of a food industry that pairs up with supermarkets to influence our purchasing decisions.
...
1) Unconscious Mind

Our unconscious minds rely on habit and what's deemed comfortable and familiar to us. Supermarkets use tools such as windowless buildings, forgettable music, large carts, scrumptious bakery smells, and constantly reorganized aisles to make shoppers stay longer and, by extension, spend more.
...
2) Defaults

Defaults are what you get at the supermarket, unless you actively choose something else. This can be packaging size, product formulations, or standard food combinations.
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3) Willpower Reserves

Supermarkets and food processors count on the fact that many of us will go shopping at the end of a long day, perhaps on the way home from work, or with tired, hungry kids in tow. That's when it's hardest to rely on willpower reserves.

It must explain why Cheetos constantly show up in the shopping cart.


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  • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Wednesday July 15 2015, @07:00PM

    by krishnoid (1156) on Wednesday July 15 2015, @07:00PM (#209513)

    Stupid cheetah and his hypnotic James Earl Jones voice.

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  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday July 15 2015, @08:03PM

    by Gaaark (41) on Wednesday July 15 2015, @08:03PM (#209548) Journal

    Yeah, i want low-salt chips advertised to me with a sexy young girl with big...
    ...chips... and a sexy voice.

    and curled over chips: i love the taste/feel of chips that have been cooked and curled almost over on themselves.
    Mmmmmmm....

    AND DORITOS DAMN KETCHUP FLAVOUR!
    stupid frito lay sells all kinds of awful chips, but doritos ketchup is only a limited time chip???? WTF???

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @10:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 15 2015, @10:58PM (#209661)

    I don't understand that advertising. In most of the commercials, the cheetah isn't cool, he is simply being a dick. A rather mean dick at that.