It’s similar to how supermarkets periodically shuffle around their shelving. Consistency in navigation, gestures, and behaviors allow the user to get what they want and get back out too efficiently.
I don't know if they think I will buy more if I run around for fifteen minutes looking for something, but man it's annoying.
They probably think of it as 'increasing engagement'. To me it's just wasting my time.
(https://minesafetydisclosures.com/blog/2018/6/18/costco, though it's from 5 years ago so things might have changed)
Here you've stated the fundamental truth about the so-called attention economy. The core tenet of it, is that money is made on friction. Attention is a finite resource everyone prefers to conserve for their own needs, therefore it needs to be stolen, so it can be redirected to ads, upsells, and other form of behavior manipulation.
That's why supermarkets are reshuffling stores so frequently. That's why so many websites are full of dark patterns and general annoyances. That's why ergonomics all but disappeared from software. Their inefficiency - wasting your limited lifespan in countless tiny ways - is how they make money.
Normal supermarkets in the US very rarely do this.
Walmart, Safeway, Whole Foods, HEB and all others I frequently shopped beyond Costco explicitly had very stable layouts.
It was literally a topic of news in my neighborhood when one of them rearranged for a remodel.
I barely use the app except for the card and an occasional lookup for something not available in store.