In order for a student to find the lowest priced product in a supermarket, one must scan the bottom shelf. The queen of the crop, which of course is Heinze beans, will always be placed at eye level. The turquoise and black tin, not particularly the most eye dazzling object in the shop, yet one will assume the contents of the household name to be of quality.
On the other hand, when gazing the bottom shelf in the Cooperative tin food section, one will see a very plain, unattractive yellow and black labelled tin can, which for many the colours are synonymous with some kind of warning sign. The price, a mere 29 pence, nearly a saving of a pound. Yet it is debatable whether the contents is vastly different to that of the previous.
Firstly the most obvious reason as to why Supermarkets place the most expensive products at eye level is to increase revenue. In a study by Edward E. Brand, it was stated that eye level goods would be the best sellers (in Humphrey. K, 1998, p.p.71). Therefore placing Heinze rather than the Co-operative own brand beans at eye-level will generate more money for the shop. Unless one is on a tight budget, it is most likely that the consumer will purchase the most accessible product.
It can also be noted that Heinze beans, by simply being placed at the most convenient part of the shelf draws up social connotations. Bourdieu states that one can symbolically produce an identity through the good they consume (in Scott, 2009, p.p.150). Therefore buying the more expensive Heinze beans will identify someone who has wealth and socially superior to those who buy the value product. It could be argued that by placing these items on different shelves, supermarkets are discreetly producing a system of discrimination, i.e. the poorer person can be seen bending down to pick up the inferior product by other shoppers.
It can also be argued that consumers choose the Heinze as it is a well known household name, trusted and posses the authentic baked bean taste. If one was to choose this product, Bourdieu would suggest that they are more 'culturally endowed' (in Hall, 1997, p.376), than those who do not. However Western Society tends to favour those who can afford the best products, or the priciest, whether or not they are of a superior quality. In an article in the Observer, Oliver James
suggests that this is just a symptom of the Affluenza virus, where people get satisfaction from being able to afford the best (2006). Therefore a simple product such as baked beans, the brand could be acting as simply a placebo, fulfilling an idolised social status need.
As a student, the price was the deciding factor when making the choice. However it must be said that subconsciously, being brought up in a Capitalistic Americanized society, there was certainly the underlying desire to purchase a can of Heinze.
By Josh Fretwell
Hall ,S. (1997) Representation Cultural Representations and Signifying Pratices, Sage
Humphrey ,K. (1998) Shelf Life; Supermarkets and the changing cultures of consumption, Cambridge university Press
James ,O. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jan/01/healthandwellbeing.features [accessed 06/10/11]
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