Latest news with #GemmaPenn
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sneaky tactic Woolworths and Coles use to make you spend more at the checkout
A British expat has claimed Coles and Woolworths deliberately play 'banging music' in supermarkets so customers spend more on groceries. Gemma Penn made the claim while comparing the differences between Australian and UK supermarkets. 'They've always got banging music in Australia whether it's Woolworths or Coles,' she said in a TikTok video. Ms Penn liked that she could listen to the Spice Girls and British act Jamelia while shopping. She theorised the pop anthems and dance tracks were making her spend more money. One social media user claimed 'Pump It Up', by pop musician Endor, was played at Woolworths every day at 3pm for that reason. Deakin University's Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Paul Harrison told Daily Mail Australia that shoppers needed to remember that the big supermarkets were moneymaking businesses and weren't there to look after shoppers. 'When they say things like they're making things better for you, it benefits them,' he said. 'Music puts us in a good mood to treat ourselves and puts us in a frame of mind where we feel safe. 'We find it hard to resist underlying vices. More upbeat music does get people to spend more on premium items.' Mr Harrison said if a store played sophisticated music, shoppers were more likely to be drawn towards buying 'the more sophisticated version of a brand'. He also said retailers wanted people in and out within 20 minutes, and the faster music helped achieve that target as people generally spent more per minute. Mr Harrison said a 20-minute shop with fast music encouraged people to buy items they may have been normally resistant to. In March, an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) inquiry into the Australian grocery sector found Coles and Woolworths were among the most profitable supermarkets in the world. The inquiry found they used promotions to make it harder for customers to judge whether they were getting a good deal or not. Woolworths customers who sign up to the Everyday Rewards program are offered deals and specials, and even get a $10 voucher for every $2,000 they spend in store. 'It's not much of a reward, but people like to feel like they're getting something,' Mr Harrison said. A Woolworths spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'We play music in our stores to make our customers' shopping experience more enjoyable.' 'The music that our customers hear in store is from a vast range of genres and eras to cater for the wide taste of our customers and team members, with a particular emphasis on supporting Australian artists,' he said.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Expat exposes the one major difference between supermarkets in Australia and the UK that makes Aussies 'spend more' at the register
An expat has identified one major difference between supermarkets in Australia and those in the UK that makes shoppers Down Under "spend more". Gemma Penn recently took to TikTok to point out supermarkets Down Under always have "banging music, whether it's Coles or Woolworths." In a video taken while shopping, she expressed surprise at having heard British singer Jamelia and the Spice Girls while browsing the store aisles. For most Australians, dance music is just background noise that people have become accustomed to hearing while doing their grocery shopping. However, Gemma, who is still getting used to the novelty, said the pop anthems and dance tracks are "for sure" making her spend more money. One viewer took to the comments to say the tunes, like pop musician Endor's 'Pump It Up', which Woolies plays every day at 3 pm, are merely a "subtle mind game" to make shoppers reach deeper into their pockets. Deakin University's Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing, Paul Harrison, weighed in on whether music really does influence spending. "At a basic level, what we know is that faster music means that people move through shops faster," Mr Harrison told Yahoo Lifestyle. "The one thing that they have found is that more upbeat music does get people to spend more on premium items. "So, an example might be, if you're in a supermarket and you hear sophisticated music, you're more likely to be drawn towards buying the more sophisticated version of a brand." Mr Harrison referenced research from one of his students a couple of years ago, which found there is an ideal "Goldilocks moment" in-store. He said retailers want people in and out within "about 20 minutes", and the faster music helps achieve that magic target, in which people spend more dollars per minute than if they were to stay for 30, 40 or 50 minutes. Mr Harrison said the 20-minute time frame doesn't, however, actually push people to stretch their budget beyond capacity. Rather, it encourages people to buy items within their means that they may have been otherwise resistant to add to the cart. It comes as an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into the Australian grocery sector in March found Coles and Woolworths are among the most profitable supermarket businesses in the world. The inquiry found supermarket giants are using promotions to make it harder for customers to judge whether they are getting a good deal, and Coles and Woolworths' dominance of the sector seems set to continue. Woolworths and IGA meanwhile emerged as the two most expensive supermarkets to shop from, while grocery prices have slightly dropped at Coles, a survey by consumer advocacy group CHOICE revealed. has contacted Coles and Woolworths for comment.
