How Carnivore Fights Grocery Store Marketing

You can’t fault a business for wanting to sell more products. Grocery stores are no exception. Have you noticed that many grocery stores have very similar layouts?

It’s not only because they are part of the same franchised company. Grocery stores from many companies make the same decisions as to where to display their products.

Let’s go through it.

As you walk in to the grocery stores they will have nice displays near the front to put you in the buying mood. Either floral displays, the bakery or the produce section are right at the entrance.

The bakery and flower section have all sorts of wonderful smells. Fresh fruit has bright fun colors.

The fruit and bakery section also makes you think you’re making healthy choices when you come in. Yes I know us carnivores may dispute that. However, that is what the vast majority of the population thinks.

By having healthy choices up front, it’s easy to give yourself permission to also pick up some not-so-healthy choices in other parts of the store.

Then they put all the important stuff like milk, fish, eggs or meat at the back of the store. It’s not a coincidence. They want you to walk through everything else on your way to these departments. Hopefully, you’ll grab a few other things along the way.

Impulse buys are generated in several ways:

• Aisle end caps have special displays that stand out. Could be a seasonal purchase like Valentine’s Day chocolate or a special discounted item

• High-margin products are placed at more eye level to increase their visibility. These include prepared meals like sandwiches and specialty products like deli meats and cheeses

• Kids cereals and snacks are placed lower so that you get the ‘Mommy, Mommy’ effect

• Low-margin and generic brands are on the top or bottom of the shelf so not in view as much

• Items that go together are placed right next to each other. If you buy a bag of chips, isn’t it easy to grab a bottle of salsa to go with it? Or tomato sauce when you pick up some pasta

• Candy bars and sodas are placed at checkout counters to make you think one last time about grabbing one on your way out

Grocery stores also flow in a specific direction - counterclockwise. They know that most people are right handed. They have found that if they guide you to the right (produce, bakery) when you enter, you’re more likely to move through the rest of the store and fill up your cart further.

Wide aisles make you slow down and feel more comfortable. Narrow aisles can make you feel rushed. Therefore they make high-traffic areas wider giving you more space to linger. Non-essential sections are narrower to keep you moving.

Slow-tempo music throughout the store encourages you to browse more slowly.

Even the lighting has an effect.

Bright lights in the produce section helps emphasize all the bright colors of the fruits and veggies. Soft lights in the wine section helps you relax and think how great a glass would feel at the end of the day.

Starting to see how they can manipulate you? And are you starting to think how a carnivore diet would combat all of this? If all you eat are meat, fish, and eggs, you’ll just make a beeline for the back of the store.

That’s what I find I often do when I’m out shopping. Either for me or my assisted living residents.