According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Southampton, which has been published in PLOS Medicine, remove sweets and other unhealthy products from boxes and the end of nearby aisles and place fruits and vegetables near entrances to stores. stores encourages consumers to make healthier food purchases .
The study was carried out in a selection of Icelandic stores in England and monitored in-store sales as well as the purchasing and dietary patterns of a sample of regular customers.
More complete investigation than previous ones
This research is more comprehensive than previous studies testing whether location strategies can promote the purchase of healthier foods that have been limited in scope (for example, evaluating only one location or placing healthy and unhealthy products together).
This study, however, was able to measure the effects of store-wide design changes with the goal of reducing shopper exposure to poorly nutritious foods in store sales, customer loyalty card purchasing patterns, clients and the diets of more than one member of the household. As one of the lead researchers concludes:
Modifying the layout of supermarkets could help people make healthier food choices and shift the population’s diet towards the government’s dietary recommendations. Our study findings suggest that a healthier grocery layout could generate nearly 10,000 additional servings of fruits and vegetables. and about 1,500 fewer servings of candy sold weekly at each store.