Researchers tested a simple idea: what if stores arranged their shelves to make sugary foods less visible and appealing? They worked with 20 remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community stores in Australia, asking half to rearrange their displays to promote healthier choices while the other half kept things as usual. Six months after the official study ended, stores that kept using the new shelf arrangement sold about 4.6% less sugar to their customers—and surprisingly, the stores didn’t lose money. This shows that making healthy foods easier to find and buy can actually work, even in small communities.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can changing how stores display food and drinks—like putting sugary items in less obvious spots—help people buy less sugar?
  • Who participated: 20 small community stores in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. Half got the new shelf arrangement strategy, and half kept their normal setup.
  • Key finding: Stores using the new display strategy sold 4.6% less sugar overall compared to stores with regular displays. The stores also made slightly more profit and sold more total food overall.
  • What it means for you: If your local store rearranges shelves to highlight healthier foods, you might naturally buy less sugar without even trying. This approach appears to work in real communities without forcing people to change their shopping habits.

The Research Details

This was a real-world test done in actual community stores rather than a laboratory. Researchers randomly split 20 stores into two groups: 10 stores got help redesigning their shelves and displays to make unhealthy foods less prominent (using 6-7 different strategies), while 10 stores kept their normal setup. The strategies included things like moving sugary drinks to less visible spots, putting healthier options at eye level, and limiting the shelf space for candy and soft drinks.

The study had two phases. First, there was a 25-week main trial where researchers actively supported the stores in making changes. Then came a 24-week follow-up period where the intervention stores kept using the new system on their own, without outside help, to see if the changes would stick. Researchers tracked all the food and drink sales data from the stores’ cash registers to measure what people actually bought.

This approach is important because it tests whether small changes in how stores present products can influence what people buy without banning anything or making people feel forced to eat differently. It’s also valuable because it was done in real communities with real stores, not in controlled lab settings, so the results show what might actually happen in everyday life.

This study was well-designed with random assignment to reduce bias. It tracked actual sales data rather than relying on people to remember what they bought. The follow-up period (24 weeks after the main trial) is particularly valuable because it shows the changes lasted even when researchers weren’t actively helping. However, the study involved only 10 intervention stores, which is a relatively small number, so results should be confirmed with larger studies. The stores were in remote Aboriginal communities, so results may not apply exactly the same way to other types of communities.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that stores using the new shelf arrangement strategy sold 4.6% less sugar (measured per unit of energy in food) compared to stores with regular displays during the 24-week follow-up period. This difference was statistically significant, meaning it’s unlikely to have happened by chance.

Interestingly, the stores didn’t lose money from selling less sugar. In fact, total food and beverage sales were 7% higher in intervention stores, and their gross profit (the money left after paying for products) was 11.4% higher. This suggests that by promoting healthier foods, stores actually sold more items overall and made more money.

At the end of the follow-up period, most intervention stores maintained their commitment to the new system. Two stores had fully implemented all the strategies, and eight stores were using at least four out of seven strategies, showing that the changes were sustainable even without ongoing support from researchers.

Beyond sugar reduction, the study found that total food and beverage spending increased by 7% in intervention stores. This is important because it shows the strategy didn’t just shift what people bought—it actually increased overall purchases. The 11.4% increase in gross profit means stores were financially healthier, not worse off. These findings challenge the common worry that promoting healthier foods hurts business.

Previous research has suggested that how products are displayed in stores influences what people buy, but most studies were done in controlled settings or wealthy communities. This study adds important evidence that the strategy works in real community stores in remote areas. The finding that stores can reduce sugar sales while increasing profit is relatively new and important, as many retailers worry that promoting health means losing money.

The study involved only 10 stores in the intervention group, which is a small number. Results might be different in larger stores, urban areas, or communities with different shopping patterns. The study was done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, so the results may not apply exactly the same way to other populations. The follow-up period was 24 weeks, which is good but doesn’t show whether benefits continue beyond that timeframe. The study didn’t track individual people’s health outcomes, only store sales, so we can’t directly measure health improvements in customers.

The Bottom Line

If you work in retail or community health, this research suggests that rearranging store displays to make healthy foods more visible and sugary items less prominent can reduce sugar sales. The approach appears safe to try because it doesn’t reduce overall business. Confidence level: Moderate—the results are promising but should be tested in more stores and communities before making major changes everywhere.

Store owners and managers should care because it shows a way to support community health without losing profit. Community health workers and public health officials should care because it offers a practical tool for improving nutrition in their communities. Shoppers should care because it shows that small environmental changes can help them make healthier choices without feeling restricted. This may be especially relevant for remote communities with limited access to diverse food options.

The study measured changes over 24 weeks, and the effect was visible during that timeframe. However, we don’t know if the benefits continue longer than 6 months. If your store made these changes, you might see differences in sales patterns within a few weeks, but the full impact on community health could take months or years to become apparent.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your weekly sugar purchases from your regular stores. Record the grams of sugar in items you buy each week for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after your store makes display changes. Use a nutrition app to scan barcodes and log sugar content, or note the sugar amount from package labels.
  • When shopping, pause before buying sugary drinks or snacks and check what’s at eye level or in prominent displays. If healthier options are more visible, try choosing one of those instead. Set a goal to reduce sugary beverage purchases by one item per week.
  • Use the app to create a ‘store visit’ log where you photograph shelf displays during visits and note what’s prominently displayed. Track your purchases weekly and compare your sugar intake before and after store changes. Set reminders to review your shopping patterns monthly to see if you’re naturally buying less sugar as stores improve their displays.

This research shows promising results for reducing sugar sales through store display changes, but it is not medical advice. Individual health outcomes depend on many factors beyond store displays, including overall diet, physical activity, and personal health conditions. If you have concerns about your sugar intake or dietary habits, consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian. This study was conducted in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; results may not apply identically to all populations. Store owners should consult with their business advisors before making major merchandising changes.