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Rachel Aitch · 26-01-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacha

I don't think I've ever been to an ordinary
supermarket that doesn't have all that 'healthy' stuff at the entrance. I
know they're arranged on some psychological factor or other but I'm assuming
that the veg near the front is to make you feel that you're doing a 'good
thing' by shopping for your family at that store.

As to the light/heavy stuff, again it's something everyone moans about. You
get all the squashy stuff at the beginning and at the end of the shop you
pick up bottles of wine or water etc. and then when you unload the trolley
and reload your car everything simply repeats itself. The supermarket
experience is horrible but I will say that when I order online, I spend a
lot less than I do when I visit personally. I can't help thinking that one
day they're going to figure that out.

Hi Sacha,

I can tell you from my days in FMCG marketing, the reason the fruit and veg are placed near the door is the psychology of buying: once you start picking things up, apparently you are more likely to continue.

So, we are presented with fruit and veg which most people definitely want: we handle them, and this "gets us started" with handling and therefore buying stuff.

Previously, customers used to wander in, go round the shop until they reached the veg, and not make lots of lovely impulse buys on the way.

Fascinating stuff, huh.

And we all know about the lure of the in-house bakery to give all those lovely smells of baking, to make us hungry....

Can't agree more about the joys of on-line shopping, did it for the first time last month, it was easy, quick, efficient: but I wouldn't buy meat or veg that way. Assuming that their van is more fuel-efficient than my (ancient) car, I reckon it's better to have them deliver all my heavy stuff once a month, and I'll support my small shops for fruit and veg.

How does that sound?

Rachel