The Genius Reason Grocery Stores Put Dairy And Eggs In The Back

Going to the supermarket is an essential part of our everyday life. Whether we like it or not, we very literally wouldn't survive long without a trip to the grocery store. Of course, a supermarket's layout is consumer-friendly in many ways: big stickers informing us of store sales, aisle signs to help us navigate, and self-checkout if we don't feel like talking. When you walk into your trusted grocery store, it would make sense to find the essentials at the front. But if you've ever just popped in for milk, you'll notice it's usually all the way at the back — resulting in time wasted and unnecessary walking, leaving you questioning the logic of supermarket layouts. 

Well, this is done on purpose and has everything to do with grocery stores making more money. Marketing expert Andrea Woroch pointed out to The Takeout team some of the shady things grocery stores do to trick you into spending more. She explained that placing the daily essentials at the back of the store "forces you to walk past other potential purchases." It's an easy way to distract consumers with more expensive products they didn't intend to buy.

As Andrea Woroch explained, "Grocery stores make a lot of money on your impulse purchases, and they will do whatever they can to influence you to buy food you weren't planning to purchase." Retail product placement is vital in determining what customers will buy, and there's even scientific research on the best position for certain products. Putting essentials at the back will make you walk past other enticing products twice — once on your way in and once more on the way out. This leads us to the next part of this marketing tactic: Putting the more expensive products at the store entrance and by the tills.

Customers can be tempted with items upon entering the store, as, psychologically, the pull to put something in the basket is the strongest. Even if you make it to the till with only a gallon of milk, the individually packaged soda or gum at the front will be hard to resist. These items are convenient to toss on the conveyor belt and are usually more expensive per serving, giving supermarkets more of your hard-earned money. So, next time you pay your local grocery store a visit, remember that the store layout is no coincidence, and it might not necessarily be working in your favor.