Are supermarkets designed to persuade us tobuy more? Fresh fruit and vegetables are displayed near supermarket entrances.This gives the impression that only healthy food is sold in the shop. Basicfoods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea, are not put near each other. Theyare kept in different aisles, so customers are taken past other attractivefoods before they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are encouraged to buyproducts that they do not really need.

Sweets are often placed at children’s eyelevel at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children reach for thesweets and put them in the trolley. More is bought from a 15-foot display ofone type of product than from a 10-food one. Customers also buy more whenshelves are full than when they are half empty. They do not like to buy fromshelves with few products on them because they feel there is something wrongwith those products that are there.