Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
The relationship between retail price promotions and household-level food waste: Busting the myth with behavioural
George Tsalis1, Birger Boutrup Jensen1, Jessica Aschemann-Witzel1
1MAPP Centre - Research on Value Creation in the Food Sector for Consumers, Industry and Society, Department of Management, Aarhus University, Fuglesangs Allé 4, 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark.
Abstract:
In the debate about food waste, pricing mechanisms used in marketing are criticized to trigger consumers to over-purchase and consequently waste food. Despite the ambiguity of the scientific results on the matter, the criticism persists, prompting many retailers to abolish 'buy one get one free' price promotions. However, evidence whether this initiative is justified are lacking. In this paper we aim to empirically explore the relation between retail price promotions and household level food waste. We collected actual food waste data, gathered discount shopping behaviour data through shopping receipts, as well as attitudinal data through a questionnaire from a sample of 118 households in Denmark. Our results provide evidence to counter the criticism and show that households with the largest actual proportion of food bought on discount waste less food, as well as those who are environmentally conscious, whereas larger households and those who lack skills in food practices waste more food.
Related Concept Videos
Cause and Effect
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Regression Toward the Mean
Social Traps
Trophic Efficiency

