The Space of Grocery Stores: A Nexus of Impulse Buying

“If I like it, I’ll buy it; pure impulse shopping.”

-Kristen Kreuk

Sometimes my pantry or refrigerator lacks essential items, whether it’s a bottle of milk for my morning cereal or a snack to unwind after a long day at work. Naturally, I find myself heading to the local market, intent on picking up these necessary items. However, as I stroll through the aisles, I inevitably encounter various products that catch my eye, and I toss them into my bag without much thought. After all, they’re just a few extra items, how much could they really add to my total? Before I know it, I’m at the checkout with a cart brimming with things I never planned to buy.

I’ve become yet another victim of impulse shopping.

According to impulse shopping statistics, “Most shoppers (89%) have some history of impulse buying; 54% have spent $100 or more on an impulse buy… and in 2024, the average consumer makes 9.75 impulse buys per month at an average of $28.90 each”                                                                                      –Capital One Shopping Research

     Impulse buying occurs when we make purchases without prior planning, driven by sudden whims or desires. This issue is not unique to me; countless shoppers face the same predicament. Grocery stores, in particular, present the greatest opportunity for impulse spending. As essential as food and water are for survival, these places become a primary hub for spontaneous purchases, overshadowing other retail environments like clothing or furniture stores.

 

So, what causes this phenomenon, and how do grocery stores manipulate consumers into buying more than they intended? Let’s take a “Duncan Deep Dive” into how these retailers strategically design their spaces to encourage impulse purchases.

 

The "Space" of a grocery store

At first glance, a grocery store may seem like a simple place to obtain products such as food, but it’s true nature is that of a business focused on maximizing profit. As I discussed in my previous blog post, “The Shifting Space of the Modern Road and How It Shaped America for the Better and Worse,” the concepts of space and place are crucial. Space represents the organization’s body language, influencing people’s behaviors, while place refers to the physical environment. 

 Space represents the retailer’s body language. Its design influences people’s behaviors in a subtle indirect way just as body language in reference to communication influences the  interpretation of speech. Places are categories or characteristics of a space that serve specific purposes such as thresholds, doorways and designated sales areas that represent the designed physical environment. 

    

For example, upon entering a store, you might notice a “transition room” between the entrance and the main interior, typically lined with shopping carts. This area is intentionally designed to prompt shoppers to consider, “Should I grab a cart?” Grocery carts serve as tools to encourage increased spending by offering convenience and more capacity for carrying items than simply carrying them by hand.

      The store layout is carefully crafted to influence consumer behavior and drive spending. Have you ever wondered why fruits, vegetables, and baked goods are always positioned at the front, while more essential items like eggs and milk are tucked away in the back corner? Healthier products are placed upfront to engage shoppers with their vibrant colors and enticing aromas, putting them in a happier mood and making them more likely to shop. When consumers start by purchasing fresh items, they feel good about themselves, which often leads to further purchases. This “first impression” significantly impacts how shoppers behave throughout their visit. Meanwhile, staple items such as milk and eggs are strategically located at the back to ensure customers walk through the entire store before reaching them.

“Grocery essentials like milk and eggs drive repeat shopping trips to supermarkets, so retailers place those everyday items toward the back of the store in hopes that customers pick up additional items on their way to the back,” says Lai. Amanda Lai, Director of food industry practice at McMillanDoolittle.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Not even the floor on which you walk is safe from getting you to spend more money.

 

 “Grocery stores often use small floor tiles, which create a rhythmic sound of the shopping cart’s wheels going over them. This makes it sound like your cart is going faster than it is, so you slow down, which means you spend more time in the store.” -Mental Floss

                                                                                                                                                                                               

     After completing your shopping, you face one final challenge at the checkout. Here, small, tempting items like candy, gum, and magazines are strategically placed in highly visible areas. This space is designed to make customers less likely to turn back and escape the temptation of these impulse buys, especially in the confined area of the checkout line.

Deep Dive Recap
  • Overall, when consumers are faced with getting their groceries, they should be aware that these stores are first and foremost a business, and aim to make as much money as possible. These stores place little “spaces” of persuasion, such as the fruit and vegetable isles to provide a positive first impression, or placing important items as far from the entrance as possible to make the consumer walk more around the store. If customers come along with a planned shopping list in mind, it may help alleviate the act of impulse buying on the user. 

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