The Grocery Store Set Up
Understanding the ins and outs of a grocery store can reduce stressful shopping. Why do grocery stores have you sign up for the store card to get savings? Why don’t they just lower the price to reflect the card savings? Why do they put a limit on how many sale items you can buy? Isn’t more sold the object? Why do grocery stores put the lowest priced items on the bottom shelf? Why do grocery stores ask for your zip code when they check out your purchase?
Cherry Pickers
Are you a cherry picker? This is what a customer is known as in the grocery store world, if he only comes in to purchase the sale items. He may come twice a day or more. Buying the hot sale item only. If the item has a sold limit he can only get one per trip. He is trying to stock up.
Purchase Limits
Grocery stores limit sale items for several reasons. Many Mom and Pop shops will come and buy out the inventory. Then resell the item on their shelf’s. At regular retail. They can fill up a van saving freight cost. Also a store might limit to have enough for everyone to get a good deal. Many stores don’t have the space to store sale items-they get what they can put on the sales floor. It sells out in a day. Grocery stores get deliveries daily to satisfy their customers.
The provider of goods can suppress ordered stock. Making it unavailable to the public. The store personal will take the heat from angry customers for not having sale items in stock. In reality, it lies in the product manufacturer. Weather conditions play another role in product availability. If a store is out of your favorite product or a sale item, chances are it didn’t happen at store level.
Savings Card
The main reason stores of all types are pushing their savings card is to get to know you better. So they can meet your needs. We all have a few if not more of these cards. Made of plastic and attaches to your key chain. Even gas stations have them now. A pet store card is called: petperks. Then you could have a speedycard, preferred customer card, or a value card. Each business has it’s own card.
They should be called a tracking card.That is what they do. The card is laced with your personal information: address and zip code. The store is able to see where their customers are coming from. To better fit their products to the customers needs. Target advertising is more forceful if the store knows where to advertise and send mailings. The card’s sensor can track your purchases. This enables the store to keep those items on hand just for you which also will trip the catalinas at the check out. That is the coupon system that feeds off your shopping habits. It produces coupons to fit your taste. Or better yet what the system thinks you might like. Offering you a coupon for a product you don’t usually buy. It’s all for your own good, ya know.
Floor Plan
The aisles of a grocery store are not just slapped together. It’s a very thought out process. It starts at the door and is set up with the flow of traffic. The aisles are all in systematic format. There is a major reason for every product being where it is. Have you ever went to a grocery store one week, and the next week the item you want was moved from the place you got it from the week before? Think your going crazy? The reason it was moved is because it didn’t sell fast enough where it was. Another site was better suited.
Selling View
Eye level is the hottest selling point. Therefore you will see all the big names in foods staring at you as you shop. Looking for an unknown label or generic product–look on the lower shelf. Often you can find the house brand side by side to a well known label. For obvious reasons. You can also find blinkies at eye level. A blinkie is a coupon machine. It has a blinking light to draw your attention. These little cuties are loaded with handy cents off coupons. tempting you to save money on brand name items. Just an added incentive. To keep you from lower shelf shopping.
Special Places
End caps are stacked shelfs.They are placed at the end of every aisle. End caps are for push items or feature items. End caps don’t usually hold the best buy. Sale items are not found on end caps. 80% of the time. This space is for products that the store is pushing. With every aisle turn you make the end caps are eye candy. Situated to get you to grab off them.
Group Mode
The most confusing aisle has to be the cereal aisle! It is loaded with sugary treats and some good to eat products. One would think if they put the cereal aisle in alphabetical order it would be easier to find your favorite kind! This aisle is set up in group mode. All the Post brands, then all the Kellogg brands then all the General Mills brands with the house brand snuggled up to each matching flavor. Again look low for the cheapies and the blinkies for added savings.
Inside and Out
Notice how every inch of floor space is used to sell in a grocery store? Every inch of floor space is a selling opportunity. Even the smallest nook is filled. As is the vestibule. Many stores line the sidewalks with garden products, grilling needs. They switch with the seasons to firewood and Christmas needs. The object is to always be promoting something.
Hot Real Estate
The most highly sought after piece of real estate in the whole store is the 4 X 8 patch that sits just inside the front door. You see it head-on upon your entrance. It’s a hot spot. Every vendor wants their product right there. Up front and in your face. Whatever the item might be, they stack ’em high and watch ’em fly. Mostly this space is reserved for the draw item. The lowest price item meant to get you in the store so you’ll buy even more.
Self Checking
S.C.O.T. More and more stores are installing self check out terminals. An aid in speedy check out for you. After all how can you complain about slowness when you are the checker? They are not for everyone. A nice alternative if you so choose. The store saves money when you check yourself out. It’s kinda fun too, playing checker or cashier. And don’t forget to tell yourself to have a nice day!
Outer Units
The units that circle the outer walls are filled with the best fresh pickins! The deli, bake shop, meat counter, and fresh seafood. All filled with tempting goodies. The smell factor is in high gear-made to order or made to sell? Smells good, looks good, and is good. Convenience at a glance but built to attract. Some stores fry chicken on the spot. Others make fresh pizza in-house. Amazing! You can even find locations with a McDonalds or Starbucks within. All these units – draw crowds.
The Strip
Don’t forget to visit the strip: known as the produce department. It is usually a strip walk from end to end. Loaded with the best fruits and vegetables available. These items are shipped in from all over the world. Good for you and ready to roll. Look for the cardboard boxes. They hold the best value.That is why they don’t rate shelf space. Grab and go. Many locations are expanding their organic selections.
SHOP AROUND
The freezer cases that are open faced, are called shop arounds. They are free standing unlike the door models in the frozen department. Shop arounds are filled to the max with the ad movers. Sale paper items. They are filled constanly throughout the day. These cases are reset with weekly sale ad products.Some of the shop arounds are mobil, allowing them to be placed anywhere in the store needing only a power outlet.
TIE INS
You can appreciate everything you need to create a fabulas meal all in one place. Spagetthi, sauce, fresh Italian bread, Parmesan
cheese, salad dressing-all on one display. This is called a tie in-off to get the lettuce and you have a complete meal. The salad dressing lured you into the produce department. Who knows what else you will be tempted with in produce and where that might lead you to.
Suggestive Selling
Picking up a cake from the bakery department-the clerk hands you the cake and says, “don’t forget the candles” That is suggestive selling at it’s best! Just a little something for you to add to your cart. This practice happens throughout the whole store. It’s harmless and helpful. It’s like having a human reminder service: so you don’t forget what else you need.
Next time you go grocery shopping, know there is rhyme to the reason. Spend some time in-store. Getting to know your favorite market. It will pay off for you in the long run. Treat yourself to a free sample.The store may be demonstrating a new and improved product. If you can’t find an item, act surprised. Like you didn’t know it was moveable. And to think, you thought it was just a grocery store. It’s really a very sophisticated marketing machine.
