Do you buy snacks by the registers in Target? A shopper is sharing how you could be getting ripped off if you do.
Liz Neptune (@ofalltheginjoints) said she caught the store charging the same exact price for two different packs of Nerds Gummy Clusters. That’s because the smaller pack was located in the snack section at the front for the store, aka the “impulse area.”
“THESE STORES ARE PLAYING US” a text overlay in Neptune’s video reads as she records herself shaking her head while in Target.
“You can’t make this … up man. You can’t make this … up, man. You’re getting scammed, man,” she says as she walks throughout the store.
After that intro, she launches into why she’s so upset.
“So I’ve wanted to try these Nerd gummies, right?” she says, holding up a bag of the Nerds Gummy Clusters for the camera.
“So, I picked them up. I saw in the back they were only $2.19,” she says. She reiterates that the 5-ounce bag is $2.19.
As it turns out, pricing isn’t exactly created equal throughout the Target—even for the same exact product.
“Why when I come by the register, I see this,” she says. She then shows off a 3-ounce bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters being sold for the same price. The only difference is that this bag is at the front of the store, by the registers.
“So simply being by the register, you’re paying the same price for the same exact thing. Bro, this is a scam,” Neptune says. “I’m just here to give the news. I’m just here to spread the news. It’s all a scam.”
@ofalltheginjoints YOU CANT MAKE THIS ISH UP!! 😂😂😂 It’s right in your face, you cannot ignore this! #costofliving #inflation #pricetag #targetfinds #target #targethaul #greedflation #corporategreed #economy #costoflivingcrisis #costoflivingcrisisuk #lizneptune #candy #nerds #nerdscandy ♬ original sound – Liz Neptune
Impulse buys
Online, Target has identical pricing listed for Nerds Gummy Clusters in the 3-ounce and 5-ounce bags. They each cost $2.19 a pop.
One viewer aimed to explain the psychology behind the higher price points around the checkout area. “Because it’s an impulse area. You have to be diligent for sure,” they said.
“Ppl impulse buy while they are waiting to be checked out. Stores know this so they jack the price in the check out lines,” another said.
“It’s always like that. It’s cause of convenience. Hence why a 16 oz pop costs more than a 2 liter,” a third said.
Collateral.io confirmed that “impulse buys are commonly located at checkouts and other high footfall or waiting areas in stores.” And according to Fit Small Business, “the average person spends over $300 on impulse purchases every month.”
Cheaper places to purchase snacks
Helpful viewers also shared alternative places one could purchase snacks, like the Nerds Gummy Clusters.
“Dollar general had them for $1,” one person wrote.
“I go to Dollar Tree for the candies,” another shared.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Target and Ferrara Brands (the company that produces Nerds) via email as well as to Neptune via TikTok comment.
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