“Food Fight in the Produce Aisle”
Posted by Joe CannonThis Wall Street Journal article “Food Fight in the Produce Aisle” (October 20, 2011 – non-subscribers may have to click here) describes the growing popularity of the produce section. Consumers perceive all products sold there — even packaged goods — as fresher and of higher quality when they are placed in the produce section. So you are seeing everything from corn chips to V8 vegetable juice vying for that premium shelf position next to the tomatoes and bananas. You might show the video in class or simply describe the phenomenon and ask students the advantages and disadvantages from a retailer’s perspective. An interactive graphic and article describe other grocery store merchandising tactics — like placing bananas in the back to encourage shoppers to move through the produce section and placing milk in a cooler at the front of the store to compete with convenience stores. The latter example is interesting, since milk has traditionally been placed at the back of the store so customers would pick up additional items along the way. The article outlines concerns for retailers — of course they might also be able to charge for this premium space. The 3:54 video is “talking heads” but includes many highlights from the article.
