How to use behavioral insights to increase retail sales

Organic Denmark carried out a project in collaboration with iNudgeyou to find out how behavioral insights can be used to increase retails sales for organic fruit and vegetables. Here is what they found out.

Some of the insights that were discovered during this project were specific to Denmark, but most can also be transferred to other countries. Many consumers, for example, think it is enough to buy fruit and vegetables grown in their own country and thus make the choice for conventional, but homegrown produce – this could be also applicable to other countries. Furthermore, fruit and vegetables section in stores are often too vast, consumers therefore are not able to make good choices.

Five points to increase retail sales of organic fruit and vegetables

Here are five points, supermarkets can implement – most of the time without too much effort – to show the consumer the benefits of organic fruit and vegetables.

1. Translate organic produce into simple messages

Answer the question: “What benefit do I get from choosing organic fruit and vegetables?”

• "You don’t have to worry about pesticide residue."
• "You help to take care of nature and environment."

The best solution would be that those messages are displayed on signs in the store, but they can also be used in wider campaigns and social media.

2. Communicate one-liners next to the item

Simple messages that can quickly and easily be understood, are the right way to address customers. To give you an example:

“When you choose organic, you avoid pesticides.”

Those messages should best be displayed in the following places:

• either on the top of a shelf or next to the product/in relation to a single product (the latter gives you the possibility of adding additional information, like e.g. “then you can also use the lemon peel”)
• It also creates eye-catchers and stands out from other communication materials

3. On the spot inspiration for an organic accessory salad

• Simple steps for the salad as an organic shopping incentive for the consumer; easy recipe is important and also that it is shown in easy steps
• Concept as one large sign on the top of the shelf and then smaller sign next to the three ingredients

4. The organic product is also from Denmark/your own country

• Making it visible that the organic product is Danish (with signs at the shelf, Danish flags etc.)
• Another solution would be a combination of all Danish organic products under the label “Danish Organic” and vice versa from your country

5. Organic fruit and vegetables have to be placed first and visibly in the fruit and vegetable department

• A good location of organic products is at the right side at the wall just when the customer enters the store.

If you are interested in all the results, please go to Organic Denmark’s website. There you can download the complete report of the project for free.