Increase retail sales and nutrition through entrance level product displays

Placing fruit and vegetable sections near supermarket entrances increases the amount bought and can improve the quality of women’s diets, according to new research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Published in the journal Medicine PLOSThe results of the study showed that the placement of such products near store entrances led to approximately 2,525 additional portions of fruit and vegetables being purchased per store, per week. This is in contrast to the large decline in population-level fruit and vegetable purchases and intake during the study period, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

The researchers said that the Government Regulation to curb the promotion of healthy food should consider requiring the placement of a fruit and vegetable section at the entrance of the store – as well as limiting the placement of healthy food in locations such as checkouts, aisle-ends and store entrances to maximize their health benefits.

The study was led by researchers from the Center for Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London and the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Center at the University of Southampton, and worked with other researchers from the University of Southampton, the University of Leeds and Deakin University, Australia.

Obesity and poor diet are major public health problems and retailers’ marketing strategies, often through in-store product placement, have a major impact on food choices. Previous research has shown that less than 1% of promotional placements are for fruit and vegetables. Many supermarkets place fresh fruits and vegetables where customers find them when they enter the store, but it is less common in discount and small supermarket chains.

The researchers carried out a trial in 36 stores (18 intervention and 18 control) of the discount supermarket chain in England, between March 2018 and May 2022. In total, 580 female customers aged 18 to 60 years took part in the study (280 intervention, and 300 control). This group is targeted because improving their diets improves their own health, and the short-term and long-term health of their children. Women in this age group are also still primarily responsible for domestic food-related tasks that affect the diet of their partners and families.

The analysis showed that the difference in the intervention group compared to the predicted store-level sales of fruit and vegetables was equal to around 2,525 additional portions per store, per week. These numbers can translate into meaningful clinical improvements in population health because an increase of 50g of fruit and vegetables per day (1 serving is 80g) has been associated with a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality.

The results also show that after six months of exposure to the intervention, the nutritional benefits may be slightly higher for families that usually shop at learning stores and where female shoppers do not have post-school educational qualifications. Women’s diet quality improved after six months of exposure to the intervention, compared to women not exposed to the intervention.

Professor Christina Vogel, lead author of the study and Director of the Center for Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London and Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton, said:

“The food industry and society are caught in a ‘junk food cyclewhere unhealthy food is cheap to make, profitable for the market, pleasant to eat and affordable to buy. To counter this, our research shows that placing fruit and vegetables at the entrance of discount supermarkets increases sales of fresh fruit and vegetables.

“These results are important because of the population-level decline in fruit and vegetable sales and intake in the UK during the study period, due to COVID-19 and other issues. At the same time, UK household purchases of fruit fell by 7.2% and 5.3% for vegetables. On average, households bought less than four servings of fruit and vegetables per day for the whole family.

“Given our findings, the Government should consider expanding the UK Food (Promotion and Placement) regulations in the UK to require the positioning of the fresh produce section near the store entrance in all large food stores to boost fruit and vegetable sales and improve our nation’s diet.”

Poor diet remains a major cause of ill health and inequality in the UK and tackling this requires action across a range of policy areas. WRAPPED’s promising results show how small changes in the layout of our supermarkets can influence our shopping habits and encourage healthier diets that can help prevent obesity and diet-related diseases. This is a great example of how carefully involving retailers in research can help deliver practical real-world insights.”

Professor Adam Briggs, Program Director of Public Health Research (PHR) NIHR