Healthy checkout lines and sales worries

Looking for an interesting movie about nudging in the supermarket? Here it is.

Tempting snacks near the checkout line can be hard to resist. Yoni Freedhoff's blog included a post about healthy checkout aisles at a few stores in the US. Unhealthy snacks such as candy bars were removed from the aisle and replaced by (dried) fruit, vegetables and toys that encourage children to be active such as hula hoops. The movie shows customers who are happy (less nagging by children) and store managers who seem to be surprised by its success.

Easy access to healthier snacks may indeed impact consumer choices, as our recently published study showed. Nevertheless, our study took place in a hospital staff canteen where sales were not of big concern.

This transformation of junk food checkout lines into healthier lines took place in 2011. I would love to see data showing the effectiveness of this nudge throughout time. Interestingly, one store manager in the movie mentions the higher profit margins of some healthier items (such as the jump rope) compared to a candy bar. It appears that the success of 'a healthy options aisle' depends on the 'replacement assortment'. Apparently, customers need or want to be tempted and give in to something, whether it is chocolate or a toy. Hopefully, sales did not drop after the first excitement. After all, without substantial sales, I am afraid this experiment would not continue for a long time.

Impulsive snacking at the checkout counter: nudging consumers towards healthier 'grab-and-go'-snacks

Candy aisle near checkout 

Tempting snacks placed right near the checkout counter can be hard to resist. Even though you know buying one is not in your best interest, they catch attention. These high-profit 'grap-and-go' snacks are particularly hard to ignore at the end of a shopping trip after making dozens of decisions. Even at my local shoe store, they tried to tempt me in buying candy (see picture).

In our recent paper published in BMC Public Health, we (that is Hans van Trijp, Kai Otten and myself) report two nudging studies on whether assortment structure and accessibility of healthier snacks influences consumer choices. The idea was that providing a larger assortment of healthier snacks and putting them on top of shelves makes these snacks more salient, attractive and convenient, leading hopefully to higher sales.

To test this idea, we first carried out a study among students in which we asked them to make a hypothetical choice from a shelf displayed at their computer screen. The results of this study showed that when the majority of snacks is healthy, students were are more likely to choose such a snack. Although this may seem obvious, they were equally satisfied with their choice and did not feel restricted.

However, lab studies do not always provide reliable predictions about how people behave in real-life. Therefore, we conducted a  field experiment in hospital 'De Gelderse Vallei'. We now put an actual snack shelf near the checkout of the staff canteen. Each week, an alternative snack assortment was on display. The assortment included either 25% or 75% healthy snacks. We also altered their place on the shelf (either on the higher shelves or the lower shelves). On completion of the study, we also conducted a brief survey among employees.

When 75% of the assortment consisted of healthy snacks, sales of healthy snacks were higher. In contrast to our expectations, putting healthy snacks at the most convenient (top) shelf space did not impact consumer choices and sales. It could be that our manipulation was not strong enough (see picture). Interestingly, the majority of surveyed employees did not notice assortment changes. When asked, however, they preferred the shelf displays including the larger variety of healthy snacks.

Overall, these studies show the size of a healthy assortment of snacks matters. A relative large assortment of healthy snacks is able to influence consumer choices. However, we do not know whether this intervention really leads to better snacking habits at the longer term. Moreover, these types of interventions are typically more successful in canteens than those in restaurants and grocery stores, where financial interests are at stake.  


While not all nudges are effective (see for example our nudging study among children), this nudge might be worth to give a try. Without forbidding any foods, a larger assortment of healthy snacks may catch consumer attention and even seduce them to purchase. 


Nudging paper in BMC Public Health: Healthy snacking at the checkout counter: a lab and field study 


van Kleef E, Otten K, & van Trijp HC (2012). Healthy snacks at the checkout counter: A lab and field study on the impact of shelf arrangement and assortment structure on consumer choices. BMC public health, 12 (1) PMID: 23231863

Flexible working arrangements – will it make us fat or skinny?

Work whenever and wherever you want. The days are over when we worked a standard 8 hours per day, from 9 till 5. Here in the Netherlands, this is the 'Week of the flexible working arrangements' (November 8 till 14), or in Dutch: ‘Het Nieuwe Werken’. 

More freedom, flexibility and responsibility. That sounds great, but what will be the influence on our eating habits? Will it make us fat or skinny? Think about it. The traditional office job is relatively structured and predictable. Coffee in the morning, lunch around noon in the canteen, and then back to work behind your desk. Compare this to flexible working conditions. Full of temptations at first sight. Work anywhere you want, at Starbucks for example. After all, Starbucks provides you with 'a great digital experience to go with your great cup of coffee'. But at the same time, they also provide you with a wide range of temptations, such as Frappucchinos, Iced Lemon Pound Cake (my favorite!) and Double Chocolate Brownies. Working at home may also lead to overeating as you get easily drawn to your kitchen cabinet and fridge, filled with indulgent snacks and leftovers. And luckily there are no colleagues looking over your shoulder saying: 'Hey, again enjoying a candy bar?’  Seeing food means eating food. Visibility and convenience are the two main influencers of how much we eat. Remember the famous candy jar experiment of Brian Wansink. Brian placed candy jars full with chocolates at office workers' desks. After a month, the jar was moved six feet away. The workers ate five more candies daily (about 125 calories) when the jar was nearby. A typical example of "Mindless eating".

Fortunately, a quick look at the scientific literature paints a much more positive picture. Flexible working arrangements have a positive impact on a variety of outcomes. Diane Halpern found that employees with time-flexible work policies reported less stress and higher levels of commitment to their employer. Another study in 2007 found that if employees saw their work schedules as flexible, they were more likely to exercise, eat well and get the sleep they need. It is well-known that stress is a trigger to overeat. Too much stress undermines people's ability to control their desires and hence their body weight. In sum, good news for the 24-7 world that we live in nowadays. A better work-life balance means less stress for you, your family and your colleagues. And probably less dieting.