Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009 - (Page 108)

Equipment The latest tools of the trade Lasting Impressions: The second installment of Progressive Grocer/ Meridian Consulting research on the front end shifts focus to the customer’s point of view. The Shopper’s Perspective By Joseph Tarnowski T % Ranking as Very Important in Store Choice he front end is a key contributor to a grocer’s overall performance. It’s a strong influencer of store choice, generates substantial revenues and above-average profits, and is an important part of the overall shopping experience. Yet, the front end hasn’t benefited from the reinvention efforts seen elsewhere in the store, and because of this, retailers are missing a potential opportunity to further influence a shopper’s decision to return. Key to successfully changing this is a focus on understanding the shopper, the Front End is Important to Shoppers Produce Meat Beverage Deli Bakery 70% 71% 66% 64% 63% 62% 79% environment and its impact on her experience at the front end. Progressive Grocer, Wilton, Conn.based management consulting firm Meridian Consulting Group and Los Angeles-based design firm Shook Kelley have teamed up to conduct an extensive research project designed to determine the grocery store front end’s contribution to a customer’s overall shopping experience. The research was sponsored by Parsippany, N.J.-based Cadbury Adams USA. Part one of the study, published Checkout Experience Affects Opinion of Store 100% 80% Front End Checkout Snacks HBC Pharmacy Pet Floral Baby 0% Source: Meridian Consulting Group 60% 40% 49% 48% 43% 39% 38% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% % Shoppers Surveyed 20% 0% Checkout experience makes overall opinion of store much better Positive checkout experience would make me “much more likely to shop here again” Source: Meridian Consulting Group November 2007, surveyed retailers to define the challenge, and then assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the current trends in the physical layout of the total front end checkout and how the area is managed. This second installment focuses on the shopper’s point of view, and its findings are based on a study of 4,807 checkout observations across several grocery operations, with 980 total intercept interviews conducted. The effort will culminate in a prototype front end concept designed to offer the industry innovative solutions. According to the shoppers surveyed, the front end is one of the most important departments. According to store intercept interviews conducted across a variety of grocery operations, 63 percent considered the checkout very important in their choice of stores (see the table at far left). Only fresh and beverage departments ranked higher. A shopper’s experience at the checkout can affect a consumer’s view of the store as a whole. Three-quarters (75 percent) of shoppers in intercept interviews for the study said the front end is a driver of the total-store experience (see the table at left). Eighty percent said that a positive checkout experience would make them “much more likely to shop here again.” The full report is available online at www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/research-analysis/ index.jsp. ■ www.progressivegrocer.com 108 • Progressive Grocer • August/September 2009 http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/research-analysis/index.jsp http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/research-analysis/index.jsp http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/research-analysis/index.jsp http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009
Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Alcoholic Beverages/Light Beer
CES: Inside the Market Basket: Economical Choices Bring Grocery Gains
Lempert Report: Earth-Friendly Isn’t Everything
Store of the Month: Kosher Country
Executive Insights: A View From Tops
Independents Report: Become a Leader Your Associates Will Follow
Perspectives:Wegmans Food Markets: How Two Halves Make More Than a Whole
Independent Thinking: N.G.A. Annual Independent Grocers Survey: Cream of the Crop
Fall Promotions: Tailgating Takes Over
Proteins: Meaty Alternatives
Fresh Developments: PG Looks at the Latest News From the Perimeter
Beverage Alcohol: Keeping the Aisle Afloat
Culinary Oils: Oil Can
Frozen Desserts: Frozen Desserts Heat up
Family Planning: Up Front With Family Planning
Vitamins and Supplements: Healthy Sales With a Capital ‘D’
Pharmacy: Dealing With Diabetes
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products
Equipment: Lasting Impressions: The Shopper’s Perspective

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009