The Frozen Yoghurt Secret
In this brief monologue, Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP explains the profit‑driven merchandising strategy used by self‑serve frozen yogurt shops. She outlines how stores deliberately arrange the product line‑up—starting with plain yogurt, then dry toppings, and finally fresh fruit—based on each item's cost per ounce. Yogurt is the cheapest ingredient, yet it is priced the same as higher‑cost toppings, encouraging customers to fill their cups with the low‑cost base. Dry toppings (chocolate chips, crackers, cookies) are also inexpensive and have a long shelf life, so they appear next. Fresh fruit, the most expensive per ounce because it must be bought fresh and spoils quickly, is placed at the end, prompting customers to add only a small amount. This ordering maximizes the store’s profit per cup while still offering the illusion of choice.
