How to Get “Produce” to Produce: Using Design to Sell in Supermarkets

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It is interesting to see how markets vary in their food displays and supermarket designs. From the mile-long aisles of American grocery stores to the hanging displays of meat in Spain to the perfectly manicured fruit stands in Japan, consumers’ taste buds are heightened through supermarket display and aisle caps. Yet, despite cultural nuances in food and shopping habits, there are a few universal truths and considerations that must be assessed for any supermarket wishing to sell its goods.

Truth #1

Lighting is essential. Too often supermarkets rely on outdated, fluorescent lighting for their spaces. Not only is this inefficient from an overhead cost perspective versus LEDs, but the lighting will also more easily show imperfections in the flooring, displays and even the food itself. Consider warmer LEDs to create a space reminiscent of a high-end restaurant so that consumers equate your space with higher-end quality and are more willing to pay premium pricing. Don’t make it too dark, otherwise you risk draining the energy and optimism of would-be purchasers.

Truth #2

Checkout is secondary. Too often when you walk into supermarkets, you are instantly hit with the checkout aisles. So rather than customers feeling welcomed and encouraged to shop the many offerings inside, they are instead hit with the business-side of the space – getting people to simply buy and get out. Yes, customers will need to checkout, but consider where that placement is so that the primary focus is first on welcoming and checking out, secondarily.

Truth #3

Customers have questions. Just like any retail space, grocery-store customers will have questions: finding items, wanting suggestions, understanding the price differences between two similar products and how to traverse the space. Make sure that you have a team not only prepared to stock, clean and checkout, but also ready to inform and guide your shoppers so that they leave not only happy, but also with a basket full of their desired items so that they don’t leave you for the competition.

With a simple overview of 3 very basic truths, let’s dig into some simple considerations to optimize your grocery space.

Considerations

1.      Undertake a lighting audit to pick the best lighting design and layout to showcase your products and reduce electrical costs.

2.      Play with lighting to see if it helps customers linger in certain areas or be drawn to others.

3.      Make your customers feel welcomed. A unique entrance, a greeter or even redesigning your carts and baskets to feel more premium can instantly change how people walk into your space.

4.      Make it memorable. Through scent, music, design and uniforms, your supermarket can stand out through simple tweaks that are already in place, but most likely, just need to be differentiated.

5.      Consider how to give your customers what they need. Perhaps you rebrand your customer service desk to be a concierge. Perhaps you have staff rove the store looking to support customers. Or perhaps digital displays alongside the aisles can help them search for items and then guide via a map.

6.      Let them linger. Don’t be afraid to carve out spaces where customers can linger- either to enjoy the recently purchased food or to take a moment to regroup and rest. By doing this you can potentially help create a sense of community and keep them in your space for additional purchases.

7.      Check out the competition and out-of-industry trends to make sure you don’t look like everyone else and, if you do, make sure you are taking inspiration from market leaders.

8. It can feel quaint and local, but truly be big box and global. As people seek out unique food experiences, allow design to make your space feel cozy and warm to evoke a feeling of travel and adventure, while still supporting mass-buying habits through how items are organized and accessed.

Conclusion

The supermarket space is a unique area where too often the focus is placed on overwhelming through the sheer bulk of items available for purchase and driving towards checkout. Instead, consider your business goals to see how you can better get people in the door, linger, increase the size of their shopping basket and come back for more. Beyond the truths and considerations outlined in this article, Senaura Spaces can expose and provide best practices that are simple and effective to drive success. From there your brand will be on everyone’s lips to drive marketing to heightened levels of ROI and earned media. Food may energize people, but design will sustain them.