GROCERY

SHOPPING & FOOD

MARKETING
 Between 1975- 2008 the
number of products in the
average supermarket went
from 8,948- 47,000
(Consumer Reports,
Supermarket 2008).

s
i.e. toothpaste
 Food companies are multi-million
(or multi-billion) dollar businesses

REMEMBE They are NOT health companies

R
Their goal is to make money!!!
 Modern Grocery Stores
Supermarkets/ Hypermarkets
 Self-service store offering food, household merchandise
 Organized into departments
 Offers staple products at low prices by reducing profit margins
 Some have self-service checkout machines, where a single employee can oversee a group of 4-5
machines
 Some are open 24 hours a day
 Hypermarkets include a department store (ex: Joe Fresh) and can be a one stop shop for all your
needs including gas (ex: Costco)
Modern Grocery Stores
Produce Market or
Fruit Market
Small stores that sell
mostly fruit and dairy
products
Often service a specific
culture (ex. German,
Italian, Polish, Greek)
with specialty foods
Ex. EXO, Lobo Fruits
 Modern Grocery Stores
Online Grocery Stores
Purchase and pay for groceries online
Costs $
Keeps track of your order history
Minimum order $?
Can be delivered to your front door at a time convenient for you
 Using a piece of paper, draw the layout of
a grocery store with the following items:
 Meat
 Dairy
 Produce
 Household Cleaners
 Frozen foods GRAB THAT
 Canned goods
 Bakery
PAPER!
 Deli
 Junk Food
 Cashiers
 Toiletries
Grocery Store Organization
Super Stores/EXTRA’s
 Grocery Store Organization
Grocery stores are built and designed to get you to buy more than you
need and spend more than you planned to!
This is why they are organized with the way they are- to make you go
through the entire store to get everything you need (fruit on one side,
dairy on the other, rows for you to go though to get from one section to
another).
The more of the store you must walk through to get your staples, the
more likely you are to make purchases that you weren’t planning on
making!
 Grocery Store Cart
THE BIGGER THE BASKET… THE MORE YOU WILL BUY
Grocery Store Carts
 Shopping Strategies
 Watch the floor plans!
 Aimed to move with the flow of traffic
 Staples such as milk and eggs are in the back so that you have to
walk by many other tempting purchases, increasing your chance of
impulse buying
 Healthier foods are on the outside perimeter of the store
 Every inch of the store is filled with items to sell
 Shopping Strategies
 Watch the End Caps!
 Stacked shelves at the
end of aisles and at the
cash
 Feature special items that
are on sale in large
quantities
 Aimed to attract your
attention and increase
impulse buying
 Shopping Strategies
Use ‘Group Mode’
Effectively
Foods are organized by
types, then brands
Ex. Cereals are organized
by brands, then highest
fiber to most sugar
 Shopping Strategies
Check out the item display layout
Higher priced and brand name items are at eye level (companies paid for these
slotting fees!)
Taking the effort to look high or low will reveal cheaper, lesser-known products
Similar products are placed together and allow you to compare prices and
nutritional values
 Shopping Strategies
Layout changes every six
months
Goal is to confuse shoppers
Shoppers need to spend
more time looking for their
favorite items
More time=more money
spent
 Shopping Strategies
 Know which size suits your
lifestyle
 Manufacturers know that people
automatically assume larger sized
packaging means a better deal
 Calculate the per unit or per
weight cost of a product
 Smaller packages often cost more
because it is more costly to make
smaller packaging
 Know how much you will
realistically use and if you will
waste any- it’s
not a good deal if you will
throw some away!
 Shopping Strategies
Product appearance
Stores and product
manufacturers know that
bright colors such as yellow
and red attract the eye
If a product grabs your
attention because of looks, it
doesn’t mean it is the
cheapest or tastiest- it just
means that it has good
marketing!
 Shopping Strategies
Beware the Check-Out
Bored while waiting in
line? More shopping at
the checkout!
Shop in off-peak hours
so that you won’t be
tempted while waiting
in line
 Shopping Strategies
Beware the Phantom
Sale Items
Items that are marked
as a sale but is less
than 10% of its normal
retail price
Shopping Strategies
Get to know the flyers and publi sacs
Store policies: price matching
Apps: Flipp
 Shopping Strategies
Plan Ahead
Planning your weekly meals can take as little as 15 minutes
Create meals that utilize some of the same products, encourage
leftovers, and reduce waste
Making a grocery list from the meal plan will save you time and
money
 Making a Grocery List
Organize by food groups Eat before shopping
Organize by layout of Stick to your list!!!
the store Compare the cost of
Plan how to use convenience foods with
leftovers the cost of making it
Keep a price list from scratch (lasagna)
Try store brands
Buy only what you will
consume
 Green Shopping
How are grocery stores How are grocery stores not
environmentally friendly? so environmentally friendly?
Packaging and plastic!
 Green Shopping
Buy local 100 Mile Diet
Fresher, better tasting https://www.jbmackinnon.com/
Know your neighbors the-100-mile-diet
Invest in the community
Low carbon footprint
 Creates brand
loyalty
Food
Marketing Companies want
customers for
life!
 THE BASICS
 Food marketing brings together the product and consumer.

 Think about toothpaste: what brand comes to mind?

 Think about ketchup: what brand comes to mind?
Think about peanut butter: what brand comes to mind?
 Shelf space is prime real
estate!
Companies pay for shelf
space. Best spot (and most
expensive) is eye level.
Slotting
Fees How does this impact
marketing to kids? Foods
marketed to kids (ex: junk
cereal) is placed low
enough that kids can grab it
 Food & health marketing: third party
ENDORSEMENTS or corporation claims
Food & Health Marketing: Tips for
Consumers
Don’t base your decisions
solely on what’s written on
the package
Just because you bought it
in a health food store
doesn’t mean it’s healthy
Read your labels and
ingredient lists!
Remember, the company’s
goal is to get you to buy
their product and not
necessarily your health
 Food Styling
That looks so good!!!

 Examples of commercials that make your mouth water

 Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvS4v2JVWo

 How Can We Compete
 Think critically
 Try store brands
 Try to consume less processed foods
 Eat locally and seasonally
 Shop without kids!
Teach Children Appreciation for
Food
 Include kids in all parts of the process!
 Cook and bake with children
 Grow food in the garden as a family
 Visit farmers markets and farms
 Give kids age-appropriate food related chores, i.e. setting the table, clearing the
table, doing the dishes…
 References
Consumer Reports (2014). What to do when there are too many product choices on store shelves. Retrieved
from https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/03/too-many-product-choices-in-supermarkets/
index.htm
Dietitians of Canada (2018). Marketing to Children. Retrieved from https://www.dietitians.ca/Dietitians-
Views/Children-and-Teens/Marketing-to-children.aspx

Obesity Action Coalition (2018). Food Marketing to Children: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Retrieved from
http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/childhood-obesity-resource-articles/
food-marketing-to-children-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing

Rocket Jump Film School [RocketJump Film School]. (2016, November 24). Food Styling: Make Prop Food
Look Great on Camera [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvS4v2JVWo
 References
Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition (2018). Food and Beverage Marketing to Kids.
Retrieved from http://stopmarketingtokids.ca/what-is-marketing/

Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition (2018). Stop Marketing to Kids Infographic.

Retrieved from http://stopmarketingtokids.ca/infographic/

Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition (2018). Reasonable Marketing Restrictions.

Retrieved from http://stopmarketingtokids.ca/reasonable-marketing-restrictions/