Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

Why supermarkets may sell more by putting fresh meals in front

Why did the rotisserie chicken cross the aisle—and end up in your shopping cart? Maybe you grabbed the container that was closest to you, or maybe you examined all of the chickens, checking dates and timestamps to see when they were cooked. Markets follow various display strategies for prepared food...

Why supermarkets may sell more by putting fresh meals in front
Image: Phys.org
Why did the rotisserie chicken cross the aisle—and end up in your shopping cart? Maybe you grabbed the container that was closest to you, or maybe you examined all of the chickens, checking dates and timestamps to see when they were cooked. Markets follow various display strategies for prepared foods, with many stores making older items more visible so they'll be sold before they spoil. However, a theoretical model created by an NJIT researcher suggests that customers prefer finding the freshest items at the front of the displays.

Originally published at Phys.org

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