Do Grocery stores put the dairy in the back of the store on purpose?

Question

Grocery stores often place dairy products at the back of the store to encourage customers to walk through various aisles, increasing the likelihood of impulse purchases along the way. This strategic layout maximizes product exposure and can lead to higher sales. Additionally, the layout helps ensure that dairy items, which require refrigeration, are quickly accessed last during shopping trips​

Comments

This article is partially credible. The economist Russ Robert who was interviewed in the NPR source could have expertise in explaining producers’ behaviour  and strategies associate with his argument that storage issue is the core reason for diaries like milk to be placed on the back of the grocery. Being an economist, he certainly would learn some business strategies and operation methods, which are relate to this topic discussed.

Yet, this article is not as reliable. Firstly, as behavioural economics is a quite new branch in economics, Russ Robert may be less likely to really have learned or touched on this field, creating a doubt to his expertise.

Secondly, the argument of consumers may be lead to cover more ground and grab more things may be less reliable. This argument is from food writer Michael Pollan. Although he mainly wrote about food-related topics, he is not an expert or scholar in related fields like behavioural economics, psychology, or any other related fields. Besides, he used the words “ My general impression…”, which may implies that he didn’t conduct any factcheck before claiming this in the interview.

Secondly, the lack of public consensus also limits the reliability of this article. Searching on google, most articles or reports that comes out give out these two claims from another individual with quote. Although some workers in food retailing say the same thing, which increase the credibility of this statement due to her relevance in the industry and topic (for example the article from EatingWell), there are no clear sources traced to any more-reliable published academic or organizational researches.

https://www.eatingwell.com/why-eggs-and-milk-are-at-the-back-of-the-grocery-store-8675983

Answer 1

The article you provided does not have any evidence to this claim besides they own hypothesis. In an article that is not necessarily more or less credible than this one, they recommend that maybe the consumer does want their milk in the back. "The answer for why customers want the milk near the back is cost. Grocery stores could put the milk near the front but it would be much more costly and those costs would end up being passed on to customers" (Medium). They continue on saying that putting them in the front would cost more because the milk needs to be kept cold. When a refrigerated truck drops off the milk, it needs to get into the appropriate place quickly so it does not spoil. Keeping it in the front takes more time to transport it there and is increased exposure time it has to warmer air and thus, spoiling it. It is also important to note that milk is not always the most demanded item at a grocery store. Instacart, a largely used grocery delivery service, reported that in the United States in 2023, bananas were the most delivered grocery item - and they achieved this by a long stretch. In matter of fact, banana have been the number one most bought fruit on the platform for over 11 years. Using all of this information, it is safe to conclude that a typical shopper may not be looking for milk and will instead have to pass the fruits (such as bananas), which are known to be kept at the entrance of the grocery store (Highlands Family Chiropractic). Overall, the typical shopper is going to get what they need as soon as they enter the store, and they would probably prefer if their milk is not spoiled.

https://medium.com/startup-grind/why-is-milk-in-the-back-of-the-store-1fda04c7c55c

https://www.instacart.com/company/updates/instacart-peels-past-new-milestone-1-billion-bananas-delivered/#:~:text=Believe%20it%20or%20not%2C%20bananas,longshot%20in%20terms%20of%20quantity.

https://www.highlandsfamilychiropractic.com/why-shop-the-perimeter-of-your-grocery-store/

Answer 2

Retailers put dairy towards the back of the store so customers are more incentivized to add other goods to their cart. According to eatingwell.com , "Grocery essentials like milk and eggs drive repeat shopping trips to supermarkets, so retailers place those everyday items toward the back of the store in hopes that customers pick up additional items on their way to the back". This website also details how customers are encouraged to pass many items marked on sale, further incentivizing them to make additional purchases.

Comments

What is your source? Always cite it in your fact-check and provide the hyperlink. Also, how would you rate the claim? Please select a rating. Thanks!

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what is your source on it you claim a website but never actually have a source you just say this website

Answer 3

This is most likely true. Almost everything in a grocery store is placed in a thought out place in order to gain revenue. In an article composed by Virginia Tech and Virginia State University they explain dairy locations by saying "These products are located along the back wall of the store, farthest away from the entrance to expose customers to the maximum amount of product so they will impulsively buy other goods." They also explain how items listed as "Impluse Buys" are located by the cash register so that people grab them while waiting to check out. However, Russ Roberts, an economist at the Hoover institution says that diary could be in the back because "it's easier. The trucks deliver the milk to the back. There's a big refrigerated room there." With that being said, the commonly agreed reason that dairy is in the back is so that people walk through and make impulse purchases.

https://www.npr.org/2014/08/01/337034378/everyone-goes-to-the-store-to-get-milk-so-whys-it-way-in-the-back

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/AAEC/AAEC-190/AAEC-190.html 

Comments

You start this fact check by saying “most likely true” which makes me think youre not entirely sure about it. You mention articles but you should look into what made them write about this topic? What's the reasoning behind ? maybe a purpose. I think there's a lot more to say about this and even your mention of items being placed at cash registers made me think that there is more research about this. What's the psychology behind it?

One thing I did like was how you provided a different point of view from the economist. I think that that's also a possibility. Are there any more opinions like this?

Answer 4

The initial article doesn't prove much, but the NPR interview within makes it seem pretty plausible. The dairy buyer from BJ's Wholesale, someone within the industry, goes as far to say that they do it intentionally, calling it "building the basket." But other sources say that there's the explanation that milk needing to be kept cold leads to it being stored in the back with other temperature sensitive items. As this is the cheapest place to put coolers due to the layout of grocery store shipping docks, the milk naturally ends up in the back.

https://www.npr.org/2014/08/01/337034378/everyone-goes-to-the-store-to-get-milk-so-whys-it-way-in-the-back

https://fee.org/articles/why-is-milk-in-the-back-of-the-store/

Answer 5

Grocery stores do put the dairy in the back of the store for a reason because they have to maximize their profits but all the sources I found were mostly theorizing about what the reason is. One of The main claims is that it draws consumers down the isles, where they might make an impulse purchase. The other theory is that the coolers in the back of the store are closer to the loading docks, allowing for the dairy items to stay cool between being dropped off and being stocked, garenting their freshness. There’s also the idea that consumers just expect dairy to be in the back of the store so it continues to be placed there. From a quick look I couldn't find any confirmation from anyone who actually designs grocery stores to confirm any of these claims.

https://www.tastingtable.com/885535/why-is-milk-always-at-the-back-of-the-grocery-store/

https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/psychology-of-the-grocery-store