Promoting Healthy Choices at the Point of Sale: The combined effect of Space Management and In-store Communication

The increase in chronic diseases is an alarming phenomenon, often linked to unhealthy lifestyles and diets. The relevance of this phenomenon in the retail sector is also recognised. Information overload can compromise consumers' ability to process information and make informed food choices. The arrangement of products on shelves has been demonstrated to influence consumers' information processing. In this regard, space allocation represents a powerful instore marketing tool, given that the quantity and quality of space allocated to a product, category, or brand exerts a substantial impact on purchasing decisions. This study explores the effectiveness of a display aggregation of the cereal category, combined with in-store communication that leverages the taste attribute, to influence consumer choices. The experiment consists of a pre-test conducted through an online questionnaire on a sample of 246 participants. The results suggest that display aggregation combined with in-store communication can increases the choice of communicated products and reinforces the message conveyed by the in-store communication initiative. The study is not without its limitations, including the simulated online experimental setting and the composition of the sample. Further research could explore the effectiveness of combined strategies in real-world settings, involving a more diverse sample, by integrating the results with sales data.