At the University of Bath’s School of Management, recent research highlights an innovative approach retailers can employ to prompt consumers to purchase single, unsold bananas by attributing emotional characteristics to them. By placing a sign next to the bananas that depicted a banana with a downturned mouth accompanied by the message “We are sad singles and want to be bought as well,” researchers found that shoppers were more likely to feel compassion towards these fruits. This emotional connection, fostered by the visual appeal of the bananas depicted as being sad and abandoned, effectively motivated customers to rescue these lonely bananas from being wasted.

Published in the journal Psychology & Marketing, the study explored how emotional cues, precisely signs displaying ‘sad singles’ versus ‘happy singles’, affected the purchase of loose bananas and tomatoes. The findings were clear: signs that evoked sadness were significantly more effective than those showing happiness. This was quantified by a remarkable 58 per cent increase in the sales of single bananas per hour when the ‘sad’ sign was used, compared to a mere 5.4 per cent increase with the ‘happy’ banana signage. This stark contrast underscores the powerful impact of emotional engagement in consumer behaviour, particularly in reducing food waste.

Dr Lisa Eckmann from the Bath Retail Lab explained that this was the first experiment to compare the effects of happy and sad expressions on bananas separated from their bunches to examine sales impact. The experiment took place in a major German supermarket chain, REWE, involving the observation of the purchasing behaviours of 3,810 customers over 192 hours. This particular supermarket had previously labelled bananas as singles wanting to be bought but had not incorporated the emotional element until this study.

In addition to the in-store research, the study was extended online with several experiments involving more than 4,700 participants, replicating the setup for bananas and tomatoes and examining the influence of price discounts on purchasing decisions. Interestingly, while price reductions proved more effective than emotional appeals in some cases, the researchers suggested that anthropomorphism—or attributing human characteristics to non-human entities—remains a valuable, low-cost, and effective strategy for boosting sales and minimising food waste when price cuts are not viable.

This research aligns with broader environmental concerns highlighted by reports from the UN Environment Programme and various research groups, which note that single bananas are significant contributors to food waste and climate impact due to selective consumer behaviour. By identifying single bananas as a primary source of avoidable waste, the study provides practical insights for retailers and policymakers on addressing these challenges through creative marketing techniques.

Furthermore, Dr Eckmann hinted at the potential for a tiered intervention strategy where anthropomorphism could initially be used to increase the appeal of single items, subsequently complemented by price discounts if necessary. She also raised an intriguing point about the long-term effectiveness of such emotional appeals, speculating whether consumers might eventually become desensitised to the sad expressions on bananas.

As this research suggests, the emotional portrayal of produce not only taps into fundamental human motivations, such as the need for belonging but also presents a novel method for retailers to engage with consumers in a way that promotes sustainability. As indicated by the team, future research might explore under which conditions emotional expressions could be less effective, such as when the produce is deformed or slightly damaged. Thus, the journey of the ‘sad’ bananas offers a poignant reflection on our consumption patterns and the potential for empathy-driven marketing to influence them significantly.

More information: Svenja Gerecht et al, Anthropomorphic Sad Expressions Reduce Waste of “Single” Imperfect Food, Psychology & Marketing. DOI: 10.1002/mar.22145

Journal information: Psychology & Marketing Provided by University of Bath