Supermarket Sleuths: The grocery staple shoppers most often struggle to find, and the strategy that explains it

One of the most common questions supermarket workers are asked is, "Where are the eggs?"

This grocery staple is notoriously hard to find, alongside other key items such as bread and milk, which tend to be placed in odd spots at the back of stores – where my local Coles keeps them.

Aldi displays eggs in the aisle furthest from the checkout, and Woolies has theirs in the fridge!

Some stores don't even include these items on the signage attached to each aisle, leaving shoppers with no choice but to hunt around and find them.

Even once you become familiar with the layout of your local supermarket and know exactly where these items are placed, you still need to walk through virtually the entire store to reach them.

Product manager and author Josh Panebianco, who specialises in conversion rate optimisation, explains the reason behind this supermarket strategy in this week's Supermarket Sleuths.

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He confirms supermarkets often place high-demand items such as these in "less convenient locations" intentionally.

"By making customers walk through multiple aisles, the store increases the likelihood of unplanned purchases," he tells nine.com.au.

"The longer you're in the store, the more exposure you have to products you didn't intend to buy."

"Supermarkets use placement strategies similar to those perfected in Las Vegas casinos," Panebianco explains.

"In casinos, low-margin but high-traffic areas, like buffets and theaters, are located in far corners, forcing visitors to pass slot machines on the way.

"Supermarkets apply the same logic by positioning essentials deeper in the store, increasing the chances of unplanned purchases."

He says "prime areas", like "high-traffic aisles and endcaps", are often rented to brands for maximum visibility.

"Advanced tracking technology is now used to see which displays attract the most attention," he says.

Most Aussie shoppers aim for speed and efficiency when it comes to completing their weekly grocery shop, but this isn't what supermarkets wants, Panebianco says.

"Supermarkets want to maximise the time you spend in store."

He cites a clear example of this as being the checkout.

"Supermarkets deliberately create a bottleneck by limiting the number of registers. While you wait, you're surrounded by impulse items, chocolate, gum, and small snacks often promoted as 'today only' deals.

"The result? More last-minute purchases."

Sometimes supermarkets will relocate key items, leaving customers to search for them once more. Panebianco calls this a "store reset".

"While it's officially to improve store flow, the real goal is to increase the time shoppers spend searching for essentials.

"Studies show that small changes in product placement can significantly boost overall sales, and more time in the store usually leads to more impulse purchases."

Panebianco says there are some simple ways Aussie shoppers can avoid these strategies.

These include:

1. Go in with a clear plan.

2. Write a shopping list and stick to it.

3. Avoid shopping hungry.

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4. Be aware that sales items placed in high-traffic areas aren't always bargains, they're strategic upsells designed to expand your basket size.

5. Staying focused and mindful helps counteract these retail tactics.

Got a story? Email Jo Abi at jabi@nine.com.au.

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