The psychology of marketing

[john70t]

The nearbye supermarket re-designed their store.
Now it has a "protected" produce area, and the rest of the store consists of long, narrow isles, barely wide enough for even one cart.

If you forgot something from the produce section, you have to walk back between a section of several extremely narrow isles which are easily blocked by a cart. Forget about bringing your cart.
You can't "browse" the store anymore, you have to travel a single path to get out of there in under an hour.

I understand the concept:
A). Slow customers down(so they see more items).
B). Give them a slight sense of trapped panic(so they spend more to make themselves feel better).

Others do the same: Vegas makes their casinoes into eternal 8pm, and Costco gives shoppers oversized carts. Ohio routes major freeways through small towns and then forgets road signs.

There are a high percentage of immagrants who shop at the store, and many cultures are used to being in crowded areas, but for this mid-westerner it was just annoying.
Everywhere I wanted to go there was somebody there blocking the isle, and there weren't even any blond mothers who park their carts sideways(anywhere).
The store was mostly empty but it was still a gruelling experience.

[Dantilla]

No thanks. I'd shop somewhere else.

It will be intersting to see how it works out after a few months.

[herr_oberst]

Aisles can be five carts wide and you're still gonna get behind the Phatt Family holding you up.
Count on it.

If I was a night owl, that's when I'd grocery shop.

[pwd72s]

Sex sells. Marketing 101.

[LeeH]

What's the store?

I used to work for IRI... we actually studied exciting things like shopper traffic patterns. Eliminating the middle aisle forces you to 1)see the entire aisle and 2)take your cart with you. The break midpoint in the aisle leads consumers leaving their carts at the break to dash in to pick up one item. Since you can only carry so much in your hands, you buy less.

The other obvious advantage to eliminating the middle aisle is simply more shelf space for more product.

[john70t]

Lee, the store is Krogers on Plymouth rd, in Ann Arbor.
I usually don't think about these things. My typical gripe is about (mall)parking lot designs and how the visual flow is confusing, resticted, and sometimes dangerous at pinch points. Very rarely have I seen a parking lot which looked inviting to randomly drive into and go shop the stores behind it.

This grocery store's design was obtuse.
-The right 1/4 is produce, with a wall dividing it from the rest of the store, but they put in a small "hook" wall which futher blocked it off from the isle section. That might have been fine, but the transition path is composed of tight isles of brousing items(wine I think?).
They put the fresh expensive deli items(which spoil quickly) off in a far corner, and if I hadn't been looking for it, would never have seen it.

-The other 3/4 of the store is narrow isles, extremely long. One cart would block the whole isle. If you go down one, you have to leave the cart and bring back only what you can carry.
Even if you remember you're out of salsa and rice and soup and canned beans...too bad. The arms are full and there's no going back into that rathole.

-And most important: the beer section.
It is against the wall at the far end when most shoppers have enough groceries and are trying to push their heavy carts quickly back to the main isle onto the registers. There the isles of "quick stuff"(pet food, detergent, etc) feed into that single far wall return on an angle so the entire store has to squeeze by sharp edges of shelving and big guys standing and deciding.

-You ask "oh, but what is the whip cream on top"?
The wall path to the single distant exit door following the registers is about six feet wide. It is the staff/worker area. So expect to run your loaded cart over the heels of the baggers bouncing around.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Sex sells. Marketing 101.

This. And jealousy, and pride, and familiarism, and fear...

But I've got the beer.
Now where is that bikini woman without mate in heat, dang it?

[widgeon13]

If you are ever in CT and want to see the epitome of supermarket marketing, check out Stew Leonard's. It doesn't get any better. Quality food, customer focus and it's actually and enjoyable experience.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Sex sells. Marketing 101.

In the science of magazine marketing, if you are selling to women put "diet" "sex" and a number on the cover. ("101 sexy diets" is the holy grail of marketing to women). For men, the words "how to" and a number are what sell. Check the magazine covers at your local book store.

[svandamme]

I'de find me another store.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Aisles can be five carts wide and you're still gonna get behind the Phatt Family holding you up.

Or my pet peeve: the obese person on the electric shopping cart cruising down the middle of the isle with no room to pass on either side and no apology for holding up everyone else (there would be enough room if they stayed to one side).

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Sex sells. Marketing 101.

Its actually 101, 201 and 301.

[GH85Carrera]

The worst is the store that rearranges the items every few months.

[Erakad]

Agree about IKEA...very frustrating.

Otherwise, as I always remind folks, it's all about marketing. In your case, I did a limited random sample...they all said they'd find another store.

[lane912]

i think the ikea map is missing the meatball stand-

[legion]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The worst is the store that rearranges the items every few months.

Menard's.

By far the least expensive hardware store in town, and the most poorly organized. And just when you have the new system down, they change it.