Washington, Nov 12 Supermarkets can boost the sales of items such as chips and soft drinks by placing them closer to each other in their stores, say researchers.

Lead researcher Ram Bezawada, assistant professor of marketing in the University at Buffalo School of Management, sought to determine the optimal placement of cross-category items to increase sales.

"Retailers can benefit substantially by having better placement of items in their aisles," said Bezawada.

The study showed that aisle placements can influence sales across product categories as much as other marketing variables, such as price or how an item is displayed.

Using the cross-category items of chips and soda, the researchers found that stores placing the items facing each other in the same aisle increased weekly sales of those items by more than 9 percent.

However, moving the chips and soda one aisle away from each other resulted in a decrease in sales of nearly 1.5 percent.

Both retailers and consumers can benefit from better cross-category placements in stores, says Bezawada.

"The retailers benefit because their overall sales increase, and consumers benefit by having an easier shopping experience," he added.

The findings are reported in Journal of Marketing. (ANI)