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Brave New Supermarkets
| Article
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19086 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1991 |
2,277 Words |
| Author
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Robert James
Robert James works in advertising in Washington, D.C. |
The year is 1995: Bill and Barbara are shopping in their favorite local supermarket. Upon entering the store, they purposely pass over the convenience section that's for the hurried shoppers who faxed in their orders earlier in the day. As they walk the grocery aisles, they activate photoelectric voice chips embedded in the shelves, so that products "call out" to them about nutritional values, new recipes, and sale prices. When they pass the cake mixes, a lively commercial for one brand pops onto the TV screen attached to their shopping cart.
Later, Barbara decides to linger for a while in the fabric shop while Bill drops off his shirts at the dry-cleaning department. They meet again by the Mexican restaurant before checking themselves out. Barbara scans, Bill bags. The computer lets them know how much money they've saved on their selections (the rebate check will be mailed to their home next month). While he bags, Bill sneaks a peek at the sports scores on the Checkout Channel.
Get set to enter the brave new world of tomorrow's supermarket. The food marketing industry, seeking to lure more customers and promote higher sales, is turning to a slick blend of merchandising, interior design, and high technology as never before. No longer are grocers competing merely through store locations and product selection. Now they're experimenting with novel and increasingly sophisticated merchandising techniques, store architecture, and electronics to entice, entertain, and pamper customers. As the competition among stores heats up over the next few years, It's only a matter of time before Bill and Barbara's grocery shopping experience becomes the norm.
But tomorrow's supermarkets will not simply be the brainchildren of greedy grocers or the result of rampant technology. As marketing researchers point out, life-style trends can be detected in what's happening in grocery stores. The futuristic store where Bill and Barbara shop will mirror the lives of American consumers of the 1990s.
Updating a New Idea
Born during the Great Depression, the supermarket ushered in a new concept in food marketing in the United States--a concept perfectly suited to the dreary economic times. The basic idea of self-service, with all food and grocery departments under one roof, had tremendous appeal to cost-conscious shoppers. The self-service concept revolutionized the grocer's business. During the next twenty years, self-service methods would be tried and adapted
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