The Reason Eggs & Milk Are at the Back of the Grocery Store

My father has worked for a big-box grocery chain for more than 40 years, so I’m privy to a few supermarket strategies that average shoppers might not be aware of—like why children’s cereal “happens” to be stocked on shelves that meet their eye level. Still, I checked in with a food retail expert to get the inside scoop on why eggs and milk are always located at the back of the store. And the reasons are no coincidence.

Before I let you in on the sneaky truth, rest assured that it isn’t all a ploy to bust your food budget. In fact, there is more than one very practical reason why dairy products aren’t usually placed near store entrances.

A Few Practical Reasons That Simply Make Sense

“When it comes to store design, unlike non-food retailers like apparel stores, supermarkets generally want to limit direct sunlight in their stores. Temperature-sensitive products are sensitive to heat and are at risk of melting or spoiling,” says Amanda Lai, director of food industry practice at McMillanDoolittle, a leading retail consulting firm.

Keeping perishable items—which account for a large percentage of grocery store inventories—in the coolest place possible makes sense, and it also explains why you won’t often see an abundance of windows in any given grocery store. More windows equals more sunlight, which means more energy would need to be used to preserve foods. Lai explains that stores are always looking for ways to keep costs down, and saving on heating and cooling costs is just one way to help them achieve that goal.

And when it comes to keeping shelves stocked for your convenience, this layout scheme begins to make even more sense—at least from an employee perspective. If you’ve ever peeked through the empty dairy shelves and into the back room looking for help from an employee, this next bit of insider intel is sure to click.

“Frequently purchased, temperature-sensitive items like milk and eggs are often located in refrigerated coolers in the back of the store because they can be easily restocked from the back rooms by employees,” says Lai.

Lastly, Lai reveals that most store layouts include what industry professionals refer to as a “decompression zone.” Located at the front entrance of stores, these areas are designed to give shoppers 10 to 15 feet of space before they are introduced to products and signage, in what Lai says is an effort to allow customers to “adjust and get their bearings as they enter the store.” As a customer, I see these areas more as magnets—especially if I’m shopping on an empty stomach—pulling me toward all the enticing foods and sale signage that lie ahead.

The Real Reason Milk & Eggs Are at the Back of the Store

Speaking of being enticed by products that I may or may not actually need brings me to the precise and very deliberate reason that explains exactly why grocery retailers make you walk all the way to the back of their stores just to get your milk and eggs.

“Grocery essentials like milk and eggs drive repeat shopping trips to supermarkets, so retailers place those everyday items toward the back of the store in hopes that customers pick up additional items on their way to the back,” says Lai.

This simple yet strategic reason ensures that you won’t miss out on all the end caps (towering product displays placed at the end of aisles), seasonal sales and every other product in between as you make your way to the staples you came for and back to the registers.

But even if you make it to the registers with only what you came for in hand, be sure to put your blinders on as you approach the register, because that’s where you’ll run into all the impulse buys, including chewing gum, candy and magazines.

The Bottom Line

Like the milk, eggs and children’s cereal, every single product you see in a grocery store is put there for a reason, and brands often pay big money for prime shelf real estate to make sure you will see their products as you make your way through the store.

“The shelf space just below eye level, sometimes called the ‘strike zone’ or ‘bull’s-eye’ zone,” is what consumers see first and where bestselling items are placed,” says Lai. “Brands often need to pay for these more attractive placements on the shelf. The lower shelves are where you will often find bulk-size packages or items targeted to kids. Product placement is increasingly determined by data analytics.”

Now, the next time you’re at your local grocery store, you’ll also understand why you have to bend down to reach for those generic brand products that save you money.