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