—The Traveling Salesman Goes Shopping: The Systematic Deviations of Grocery Paths from TSP Optimality

Sam K. Hui (), Peter S. Fader () and Eric T. Bradlow ()
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Sam K. Hui: Stern School of Business, New York University, New York 10012
Peter S. Fader: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
Eric T. Bradlow: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

Marketing Science, 2009, vol. 28, issue 3, 566-572

Abstract: We examine grocery shopping paths using the traveling salesman problem (TSP) as a normative frame of reference. We define the TSP-path for each shopper as the shortest path that connects all of his purchases. We then decompose the length of each observed path into three components: the length of the TSP-path, the additional distance because of (i.e., not following the TSP-order of category purchases), and the additional distance because of (i.e., not following the shortest point-to-point route). We explore the relationship between these deviations and different aspects of in-store shopping/purchase behavior. Among other things, our results suggest that (1) a large proportion of trip length is because of travel deviation; (2) paths that deviate substantially from the TSP solution are associated with larger shopping baskets; (3) order deviation is strongly associated with purchase behavior, while travel deviation is not; and (4) shoppers with paths closer to the TSP solution tend to buy more from frequently purchased product categories.

Keywords: traveling salesman problem; grocery shopping path; path data optimality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:28:y:2009:i:3:p:566-572

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