Ch. 5

Amy’s vegetarian pot pie will sit on some shelves longer than others. In fact some shelves will never have the pleasure of Amy’s visit. Of course Amy’s wouldn’t distribute to Steak Side Meat market in Burgerville, Texas, because that’s not where consumers interested in that kind of product would be. That goes for the placement of the product within a store. Amy’s products are often placed in two sections of a market, one in the frozen food section among a variety of brand frozen prepared meals and another within a health food section of the store. This is done to familiarize customers with the product while shopping for similar products (ie. t.v. dinners) and those looking particularly for health food products.
People shop for healthy foods for a variety of reasons. Some have health concerns and have been educated about the benefits of organic foods or foods without added preservatives. Others enjoy a healthy lifestyle or pursue healthy choices because they are attracted to the image of health.

There are many ways people learn about products and they use this information when making purchasing decisions. People often recall previous experiences with a product, or they may have heard about a product from a friend, read an article about a product or viewed TV commercials promoting a product. People then compare shop, considering possible alternatives. Once a person has established a want or need for a product they may purchase it and begin the evaluation process.

Considering all of the food options on the shelves today we show great experience in our consumer decision making capabilities. Product placement is a key factor in the marketing mix. The strategic placement of Amy’s products in stores help influence our decision of whether or not to purchase a product buy connecting the health-food concept with convenience and accessibility. Ultimately, the decision to choose one product over another is ours, yet the careful marketing that influences us often hits home, or is at least perfectly placed in our nearest grocery store.