Thursday, December 10, 2015

Confusion on aisle six

It happens all the time. One day you walk into a grocery store you've been going to for years, and everything is changed around. Well, not everything, but enough stuff has been relocated to throw you off your rhythm. It happened yesterday. The shampoo, soap, and toothpaste aisle was not where it was supposed to be. One whole end of the store had its shelves turned perpendicular to the way they were before. I missed produce altogether.

The frosted end of a vineyard post.

I know there are good reasons for this kind of change. Well, one good reason. Marketing. Figuring out the shopping psyche and trying to place products where they will be noticed and bought. Forcing shoppers to walk down every aisle looking for their regular items in hopes that they will see something new and pick it up on an impulse. The whole place is engineered to get shoppers to fill up their carts. People are paid to study this. People are paid to determine which changes will work and which will not. People are paid to analyze shopping patterns before and after changes to maximize revenue. And we shoppers know they do it, and we adjust to it, and we happily pay them to do it again.

10 comments:

  1. I feel annoyed on your behalf!
    It's really irritating when you can't find the things you want, especially if you haven't the time to search the whole shop for them. The marketing people may think it's worth the effort but it doesn't work on me. I'm more likely to give up and go somewhere else for the things I can't find.

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  2. I just trudge round til I find it, if not it's amazing how long you can go without something....
    I blame Christmas for a lot of the shift around, got to make room for all those toys and chocolates.

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  3. Yes, it works, but in a way it backfires, as we just hate big business all that little bit more. After some years of stability, our local supermarket has recently changed products on shelves. So annoying.

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  4. I hate it when they do that

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  5. wish they would leave well enough alone. and don't get me started about aisle clutter (like a huge cracker display in front of the fresh meat case - WTF?).

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  6. jean, I like knowing where to find things and not having to wander all the aisles. Just the opposite of what they want me to do!

    potty, the holiday changes don't bother me so much; they happen all the time all year round (including for special wine festivals and other ethnic food specials) and I'm used to them.

    andrew, but think of the jobs! ;)

    travel, you're not alone!

    chris, :)

    anne marie, and then there are the "tasting tables." Aaack!

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  7. I hate to grocery shop in the first place, so especially hate when I have to relearn the arrangement.

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  8. Our local Safeway - the worst of the entire system- has had to step up it's game due to the renovation of the shopping center in which it is located. That means they are constantly moving entire sections of the store. I get grumpy when I can't find my baguette.....

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  9. BTW, lovely photo. As always, from a perspective I would never have noticed!

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