Arranging the assortment to arouse choice: Effects of goal-relevant assortment organization on food choice and variety perceptions

Abstract

Food retailers can present specific products in a separate category (e.g., separate section for organic products) or integrated into the mainstream shelf. This study investigates how assortment organization influences consumers' variety perceptions and product choice. We argue and show that when an assortment is organized according to an individual's goal (e.g., organics), he or she is more likely to choose a product that is in line with his/her goal (e.g., choose an organic product), compared to when products are presented in a mixed display or when categories are unrelated to this goal. Moreover, the results of three experiments show that when assortments are organized according to a relevant goal, people perceive more variety in the category with goal-consistent products (an in-category heterogeneity effect), but tend to see less variety in the category with products that are not consistent with their goal (an out-category homogeneity effect). This implies that food retailers can direct consumers' choice, as well as consumers' perception of the assortment, through assortment organization. Size of the category is shown to be a boundary condition.

Nudging to get our food choices on a sustainable track

“…Incorporating sustainable products in the existing assortment can be challenging for managers (101) , as they can choose to mix them with the existing assortment (i.e. comparative positioning) or offer them separately (i.e.…”

The Virtual Online Supermarket: An Open-Source Research Platform for Experimental Consumer Research

“…Even if product presentation methods differ between traditional brick-and-mortar stores and online supermarkets, (digital) shelf placement seems to remain a relevant factor for online stores. Overall, initial findings suggest that small differences in assortment organization affect consumers' behavior similarly when tested in an online store [13,14]. However, there are still a couple of unresolved research questions that concern both physical and online supermarkets.…”

“…This resonates in the wellknown phrase "Eye-Level Is Buy-Level". Indeed, the impact of these and other shelf placement strategies on consumers' purchases are extensively documented in marketing literature (e.g., [14]). However, whether these interventions can also be successfully used to promote better food choices has not been completely evaluated [43].…”

“…For instance, there is initial evidence that online supermarkets should not be regarded as perfect mirrors of their real-world equivalents. While some elements of the shopping environment like shelf placement strategies seem to be a relevant factor for both online and "offline" supermarkets [13,14], both channels differ in aspects like (i) in product presentation, e.g., physical vs. virtual [15], (ii) navigation pathways [16], or interpersonal interactions [17,18]. Moreover, compared to physical contexts, online environments allow an easier, faster, and more flexible integration of different design choices and interventions and provide enhanced functionalities like decision support systems [19].…”

Is texture the new taste? The effect of sensory food descriptors on restaurant menus on visit intentions

“…For menu engineering, perceptions of variety represent an important predictor of the number of dishes ordered (Kim and Yoon, 2016) and evaluation criteria for food products (Paulsen et al, 2015). Providing information on flavour and mouthfeel might help consumers find a product that matches their goal, which in turn prompts perceptions of variety (van Herpen and Bosmans, 2018). Furthermore, menu descriptions prompt expectations about the nutritiousness of a meal (Krobath et al, 2021).…”