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Vitamins and plant ingredients

Discounts on fruit and vegetables combined with a space management intervention increased sales in supermarkets

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 476–480 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

To examine the effects of two interventions on consumer purchases of fruits and vegetables (F&V) on the Danish island of Bornholm: a 20% discount on F&V combined with improved shelf-space allocation, and improved shelf-space allocation alone.

Subjects/Methods:

A space management intervention to promote F&V sales was performed in two large discount supermarkets on Bornholm in Denmark for 3 months (September–November 2012). In addition, a 20% discount on F&V was introduced for 3 months in one of the supermarkets (‘space + price’). The effect was evaluated using sales data from the two intervention supermarkets and three control supermarkets from the same supermarket chain but in Odsherred, Denmark (control area). Both the effect on sales of fresh F&V and potential unhealthy substitution effects were evaluated using multi-level regression analyses.

Results:

During the price intervention period, the index number for sales of fresh vegetables increased by 22.2% (P=0.001) in the ‘space + price’ intervention supermarket compared with the control supermarkets. Furthermore, the index number for the sale of organic fresh fruit and vegetables increased by 12.1% (P=0.04) and the sale of the total amount of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, dried and canned) increased by 15.3% (P=0.01) compared with the control supermarkets. In the ‘space only’ intervention supermarket no significant increase in the sale of fruit and vegetables was found. No unhealthy substitution effects were found.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, a 20% price reduction on F&V significantly increased sales of F&V. The effect was most pronounced on vegetables and no negative/unhealthy substitution effects were found.

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Acknowledgements

The project has received funding from Nordea Fonden and the Health Insurance Foundation (Helsefonden, Grant No. 2012B233).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Prevention and Health, The Capital Region Denmark, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark

    U Toft, L L Winkler & C Glümer

  2. Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    B E Mikkelsen & C Glümer

  3. Health Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark

    P Bloch

Authors
  1. U Toft
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  2. L L Winkler
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  3. B E Mikkelsen
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  4. P Bloch
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  5. C Glümer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to U Toft.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on European Journal of Clinical Nutrition website

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Toft, U., Winkler, L., Mikkelsen, B. et al. Discounts on fruit and vegetables combined with a space management intervention increased sales in supermarkets. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 476–480 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.272

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.272

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