Supermarket Design Layout

1. Identify a supermarket/grocery market to discuss for this Discussion topic. For this topic, I chose Dominick’s (Safeway).

2. What departments within the market tend to be co-located (adjacent to one another)?

Do you believe the co-location is planned? If so why? Flowers tend to be the first thing you see in order to denote freshness. Immediately following is the produce department which continues and is enhanced by the freshness message from the flowers that you saw first. This is definitely a planned progression. It’s a subliminal message to your brain that the produce is fresh as well as the entire store. Also, the produce is situated to be the first item you shop for because it’s highly perishable and must be sold quickly. Usually, you’ll find the bakery at the front as well. These smells tend to make you hungry and ultimately purchase more items. When you walk in the store, you haven’t been hit by prices yet and mentally, you’re still open financially.

3. What departments within the market tend to be distant from one another? What purpose is accomplished by separating these departments so far apart from each other? All of the main departments are found on the outsides or four corners of the store. You can’t reasonably make a meal from shopping in just one of these departments. Even vegetarians will have to visit the “heart” of the store for items like oils and spices. The key is to encourage your customer to expose themselves to as much of the store as possible so that they buy items not on their list.

4. Why is the layout of the supermarket so important to the overall delivery of the products and services provided? To draw consumers deeper into the market and expose them to nonessential items along the way. Shopper psychology is also an important aspect to the lay out of the store. Additionally, the way shelves are stocked also has tremendous impact on a shopper’s buying habits. 5. What recommendations would you make to the layout of the supermarket to make the layout more effective or efficient? The key is getting shoppers to spend time in the store. Your store may be laid out in the most up to date, scientific manner possible but if shoppers are able to run in and out and not be sidetracked by additional items, your bottom line is going to suffer (Hageman, 2010).

References:

Hageman, W. (2010, October). Supermarket science. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-13/features/sc-food-1008-supermarket-20101013_1_supermarket-science-dairy-case-bakery