ECON HAS RUINED MY TRIPS TO THE GROCERY STORE!

At my age (and gender), grocery store strips are highly efficient.  I know exactly what I want, where it is and I keep it under 15 items so I can get out quickly.  However, since taking my micro-econ class, I've started paying attention to how companies are marketing their products and why they are positioned in a certain part of the store.

Take chips, for example.  I just noticed that most stores no longer have a "chips aisle".  Instead, the chips are strategically placed at the end caps of almost every aisle.  On a typical trip to the store, I'm not looking for chips and don't notice where they are.  But I've started walking through the grocery store looking for how the items are arranged and thinking about which items are high-margin items for the seller.  It makes my trips to the store more time-consuming as I find myself staring at items that I have no intention purchasing just to figure out why they are placed where they are.

I walked in my grocery store yesterday and noticed pita chips and hummus placed in an attractive display at the store entry.  Now, I like pita chips and hummus and I will eat them if they are put in front of me but I didn't go to the store with that in mind and I certainly wouldn't have searched for them.  So, does the knowledge that your behavior is being manipulated change your behavior?  It didn't change mine.  I knew it was the store's attempt to get me to grab an item that I wouldn't normally buy; but I stuck it in my cart anyway.  By the way, I was told not long ago that the milk is at the back of the store for a reason:  they know you need it so your trek to pick up milk will inevitably lead you past a thousand other items and attractive displays in the hope that you'll impulsively pick up more than just the milk that you need.   Maybe even pita chips ......