There's a Reason the Milk is in the Back

Grocery stores are supreme examples of organization. This is not because everything is neatly stacked on shelves for you to pick up, but for the logic behind the placement of said items. The produce section and bakery are often placed near the entrance to a store in order to welcome a shopper into the building with the sights and smells of fresh food. The sense of freshness persuades the customer to spend time in these sections, often picking up items along the way, before continuing through their shopping list. Items that are bought the most often, like milk, bread and eggs, are usually placed in the back of the store so a shopper must go through everything else in order to get to them. Foods such as cookies and candy are often placed on lower shelves because of their appeal to children who could then see them more easily. While grocery stores use organization to place similar items together, they also use organization through product placement to promote you to buy more than you intended. Take a look next time you go grocery shopping and see what unexpected things find a way into your cart.