11 Secrets Supermarkets Don’t Want You to Know

No one knows an establishment better than the people who work there. Many times this knowledge can be very helpful in knowing how to get more for your money. That’s why we sought out supermarket employees to teach us their best tricks and felt that sharing them with the world was the best thing we could do.

1. Unsold makeup stays on the shelves.

Makeup can sit on the counter for months or even years if it’s not sold, so you could find yourself with an expired product even though it’s sealed. Always check the condition of the cosmetic before buying it, and if it’s from a brand that doesn’t have much of a reputation, or you notice that the product is years old, better leave it there.

2. This is how to know that a product is on sale.

If you want to buy a product but aren’t sure if it will drop in price in the future, look at the tags. When the price endings are “.01”, for example, $99.01, even if it’s not advertised, it means it’s on its last clearance before they take the product off the shelves, and it’s probably one of the last items.

If you want to know which are the most common hacks supermarkets use to make you spend more money, check this article; if, on the other hand, you need to know how to avoid spending more than needed, check this other one.

3. The department where offers are most likely to be found.

The department where you are most likely to find good deals is the home department, where you will find home decorations, sheets, towels, suitcases, etc., because it is what circulates the least in the store, and to sell it quickly, they lower prices.

4. A word about expiration dates.

Expired products are collected in trucks that take them to collection centers, where they are distributed for donation. Only products expiring the same day or in good condition are used. A few years ago, things worked differently. All expired products had to be thrown in the garbage, and people even mixed them with detergent so that they could not be consumed.

5. Where to find cheaper products

The shopping towers next to price checkers often show piles of products that customers have left in the wrong aisles. You can also find items on sale there, some of which are about to run out, or even things that workers put aside to pay for and bring home at the end of their shift.

6. Damaged fruit and veggies don’t go to waste.

Every day the fruit and vegetable department managers check that all items are fresh and replace spoiled or overripe ones with greener produce. Large bins of vegetables are discarded every day by supermarkets, but a large part of those end up being processed and returned to the supermarket in the form of fruit cocktails sold by the cup or by weight.

7. Some supermarkets have real mascots.

It’s not uncommon to find furry friends that shouldn’t be in supermarkets. Many come to the door so frequently that staff adopts them to keep pests at bay. So if you find a kitty sleeping on the produce, leave it there: it may be on duty.

8. Join social media groups.

If you are waiting for a specific product to go on sale, join local social media groups on Facebook or WhatsApp. People agree and upload the data of the products that have dropped in price every day in real-time, so you could find what you’re looking for if you keep an eye on your phone.

You can also add them to your local supermarket app’s shopping cart, and you will be notified when there is a sale. If you have never shopped online and want to learn some hacks that can save you time and money, as well as epic fails or fakes, check out these tips.

9. Bread is not fresh.

More often than not, bakery products are not fresh. They are sent frozen, and the only thing bakers do in the store is to thaw and bake them according to the instructions provided. This is why all the bread has the same quality and tastes the same even if you buy it from different branches.

10. Supermarket clothing is of good quality.

Supermarkets have their own exclusive clothing brands, seeking high-quality pieces at a more affordable price. However, the clothes of these stores have a bad reputation, when it should not be so.

11. Lids can need to be cleaned before opening them

Cans on supermarket shelves can accumulate dust and other debris. Cleaning the lids helps remove any external particles that may have settled on the surface during storage and transportation.
Before reaching the supermarket shelves, cans go through various stages of handling, including manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. Other shoppers may have touched the cans, and cleaning the lids minimizes the chances of transferring germs from the hands of others to your food.

Knowing what goes on behind the scenes at supermarkets is cool, but did you know that every single one around the world has its own peculiarity?