Arrows on the floors of retailers that point to the produce section “significantly” increases customer spend on fruit and vegetables, according to a new study.
Researchers at New Mexico State University compared sales of produce in two stores, one with in-store marketing for fruit and vegetables and one without.
In the trial store, 10 large green arrows were placed on the floor in highly visible areas pointing to the produce section. Phrases such as ‘follow green arrow for health’, as well as produce icons and emoticons were written on the arrows to “facilitate social approval”.
During the 14-day trial period, the trial store recorded a significant increase in the proportion of spending on produce compared with other food. The total food spending per customer did not change significantly between the two stores.
“Efforts to move shoppers to purchase healthier foods while not increasing budgets could trigger a public health shift,” said lead author Collin Payne, of New Mexico State University. “And our intervention showed that the produce spending proportion increase is possible without increasing overall spending per shopper transaction.”
The results of the initial trial, which were published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, were duplicated over a longer period, but researchers recommended that future studies examine how long this change in behaviour is likely to have an effect.
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