Strategies to Boost Impulse Buys

Many food shoppers are carefully planning their store trips in an effort to boost efficiency and avoid unplanned spending at a time of inflation.

While these shoppers are often armed with lists, they are still open to impulse buying, especially in produce. This category appeals to emotions through color, smells and innovative displays. Add alluring promotions, and the groundwork is laid for driving impulse.

Food retailers that follow strategic merchandising and promotions approaches are more likely to achieve winning results.

KEY DATA POINTS ON PRODUCE BUYING

FMI’s latest consumer research provides important findings to help spur impulse buying.

Nine in 10 shoppers end up purchasing fruits and/or vegetables they had not intended to buy because of in-store merchandising and promotional programs, including 48% who do so frequently, according to FMI’s The Power of Produce 2026.

Nine in 10 shoppers end up purchasing fruits and/or vegetables they had not intended to buy because of in-store merchandising and promotional programs, including 48% who do so frequently.

• Fifty-one percent of grocery shoppers say eye-catching produce displays are the best way to drive unplanned purchases, with seasonal items cited as the second most important driver.

• Thirty-four percent of consumers who decide on produce purchases in-store point to price as the dominant purchase driver.

• About six in 10 shoppers regularly check prices and promotions across two or more stores, and 78% check sales specials across items when shopping.

PROVEN STRATEGIES

The following are successful approaches for food retailers. Many of these strategies are cited in the FMI research.

• Execution: Strong in-store produce execution is key to winning impulse dollars and locking in planned purchases. Consistent produce quality, color breaks, well-maintained displays, and inspiring signage and recipes can trigger incremental sales.

• Seasonality: Use seasonality as a primary produce storytelling tool by highlighting seasonal crops through endcaps, specials and digital tie-ins. This includes items growing seasonally, as well as items popular during big produce holidays, such as avocados during the Super Bowl or cranberries at Thanksgiving.

• Cross-merchandising: Activate recipes and cross-merchandising that spotlight produce to convert inspiration into baskets, including tapping into viral social media trends. Cross-merchandising helps shoppers overcome decision fatigue and boosts units per trip.

• Price Strategies: Consider tiered assortments, with entry-price/value items for budget-sensitive shoppers and local/premium SKUs for shoppers with discretionary income.

• Meal Bundling: Add a produce item to a meal bundle as a powerful value strategy to accelerate consumption. Meal bundles are often discounted to spur shopper interest. Bundling with produce can have the advantage of introducing new items that lead to repeat buys.

THE POWER OF LOCAL AND CONVENIENCE

FMI’s research finds local sourcing remains a powerful attribute for fresh produce, with 29% of shoppers rating it the top factor for which they are willing to pay extra.

Meanwhile, convenience is a strong selling point for core produce consumers, those who eat fresh fruits and vegetables nearly every day. As a prime example, the food industry can take advantage of the convenience offered by value-added produce.

OMNICHANNEL EFFORTS

Driving impulse buying for produce isn’t just an in-store endeavor. Food retailers need to carry this across digital platforms to avoid missed opportunities. The fresh foods industry doesn’t always give enough priority to the digital side. However, e-commerce shoppers need to see cross-merchandising, bundling, seasonality tie-ins and other in-store strategies.

Likewise, digital coupons for produce items can help raise awareness and drive impulse sales in stores and online. Next-Gen shoppers are especially experimental and often willing to try new items.

ENHANCE SHOPPER EXPERIENCE

I realize that impulse-buying strategies can have the impact of disrupting shoppers’ careful list-making and planning. However, in the case of produce, I don’t think shoppers will mind.

The merchandising and promotions strategies discussed here drive excitement and shopper experience. That represents a unique kind of value that puts produce in a special class.