During the research, the investigators tracked the purchasing behavior of fresh products (such as bread) for a period of nine weeks, including regular purchases, discounted purchases, and multi-buy packaging. After the purchase, participants also provided information about their consumption behavior, including the amount of food they wasted. To the researchers' surprise, those who took advantage of multi-buy offers were more likely to consume more or store the food for longer. Aydinli: "This research refutes the general notion that discounted products actually contribute to more food waste. Households benefiting from multi-buy offers tend to make better use of their purchases and waste less. This provides new perspectives for reducing food waste."
The study, conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, also revealed that larger households on average waste less food and are more likely to take advantage of promotional offers. These findings suggest that behavior change can be encouraged by prompting customers to adopt practices like "buy two, freeze one." Aydinli adds: "It is important to raise consumer awareness about the possibilities for reducing food waste. By providing them with practical tips and advice on how to make optimal use of multi-buy offers, we can shift the mindset around food waste and contribute to a more sustainable society."