The menu trick that cuts sugar

We are all being told to cut down on our sugar intake; but could it be as simple as re-arranging the menu order?

Well this is the startling conclusion of a recent experiment conducted by Warwick Business School at McDonald’s store.

Re-ordering a fast food menu can ‘trick’ consumers into choosing healthier options.

Moving the icon for Coke Zero – which contains no sugar – to the top of the soft drinks list and Coca Cola to the bottom persuaded customers using touch screens to order to choose the first option.

Researchers from Manchester and Warwick Universities found that, over 72 weeks, Coca Cola sales fell on average by 9 per cent, while Coke Zero purchases rose by 30 per cent in 622 stores.

Study coordinator Dr Ivo Vlaev, of Warwick Business School, said: “You can call it a cognitive trick. It’s based on a bias, or a psychological blind spot we have when we are looking at the range of options in front of us.”

He added that retailers should take note of the ‘promising results’ which show that changes like this can be made without affecting a business’s profits.