Costco: Big trolleys
If you’ve ever been to Costco, the so-called wholesale retailer, you may have noticed how big the trolleys are. Yes, this has practical benefit, avoiding the need to push multiple trolleys; but it also has a psychological effect. An empty trolley needs filling!
For the uninitiated, Costco is generally a large warehouse where customers (Costco card holders) can buy many household items in bulk. This is particularly useful if you’re planning a party or large event, plus it is handy for small businesses stocking up on consumable supplies for employees. I can recall being served Kirkland cookies (a Costco brand) by a client on several occasions – and no complaints from me!
The trolleys at Costco are noticeably bigger than trolleys at traditional supermarkets. Given that visits are generally less frequent than to your local store, this does mean that the physical size of your shopping spree (picture a customer carrying multiple toilet rolls for example) is generally larger than your weekly groceries. However, I think it also discourages customers from popping in for a packet of biscuits – or even a multipack of biscuits! Without many items in it, the large trolley looks empty, encouraging the purchase of more products.
There is related research in this area. One of the widely cited studies is by a slightly controversial researcher named Brian Wansink. His published work for example includes studies suggesting that customers fill recipticle with more food (such as ice cream) when the item to be filled is larger.
Wansink isn’t not alone though; a more recent study found a similar effect for vegetables, so the effect can equally be applied for social marketing campaigns as well as for commercial benefit.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
