A ‣ In a supermarket

SHOPPING & MONEY

How do supermarkets make us¹ spend more money?

They put fresh² bread, as it smells lovely, near the entrance³ to make us feel hungry – and hungry shoppers spend more. They also rearrange things and put them in different places; this makes us spend more time in the store and that means spending more money. They put sweets and chocolate near the checkout, so it is easy to add bars of chocolate to our basket or trolley while we are waiting in the queue⁴. And they put the most expensive items⁵ on the middle shelves where you are more likely⁶ to see them. And be careful of special offers⁷, e.g. three for the price of two. People often buy more than they need and throw away half of it.

¹ cause us to do or be something, e.g. I don’t like rain; it makes me depressed.
² just made/cooked
³ the place where you go into a building
⁴ a line of people who are waiting for something
⁵ an item is a single thing
⁶ If you are likely to do something, you will probably do it.
⁷ cheaper prices than normal

B ‣ Shopping centres and street markets

Some people like modern shopping centres¹ because everything is under one roof² and it is convenient³. There’s a wide range⁴ of shops, and if there is anything wrong with something you buy, the shop will replace⁵ it, or give you a refund⁶.

Other people prefer going to street markets because they like the atmosphere⁷ you get from the different stalls. Food and clothes are also usually cheaper in street markets. Sometimes you can try to agree a lower price for something you buy in a street market; we call this haggling. Of course, if you don’t like what you buy in a street market, you can’t normally take it back and get a refund.

¹ large covered shopping areas
² in one place
³ practical and easy to use
⁴ different things of the same type
⁵ exchange it for another one
⁶ money that is paid back to you when you return something
⁷ the feeling in a place or situation