Understanding Aisle Attraction

How can grocery retailers lure more shoppers into the center store? The answer might be as simple as using rounded aisle displays versus displays with straight edges. That P-O-P design solution is among the key shopper insights uncovered in a recent study by New York-based WD Partners. The firm fielded an online survey of 1,500 consumers in the spring of 2010 in order to determine which types of in-aisle merchandising units (i.e., excluding endcaps) generated the most positive feedback from shoppers."We know from real grocery situations that minor shelf innovations are providing a nice sales lift," says Michelle Fenstermaker, executive director of consumer insights at WD Partners. "Clients always ask us: Do people respond better to vertical or horizontal [displays]? Rounded or sharp edges? We needed data to draw some hard conclusions."Participants were asked to respond to 3-D grayscale renderings of aisle designs that stripped away specific contextual elements including brands and packaging. Ten different configurations were presented with varying shapes and sizes of merchandising elements such as bump-outs, floor graphics and hanging ceiling units. Three different aisles -- cereal, beverage and snacks -- were divided equally among the participants. Each illustrated the typical 80-foot run of a large-store format. In the online survey, a variety of attributes were tested: Is the design eye-catching? Does it make you want to enter the aisle? Does it seem organized? Is it easy to shop? In the qualitative study, consumers were asked to articulate what motivated their choice of favorite designs, and those responses were segmented into the age groups of Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials.Survey participants responded best to both the simplest and to the most complex installations. The highest-ranked design, dubbed "Shop 1" (see drawing), featured two vertical elements on each side of the aisle, a rounded bump-out, a ceiling element and a floor element. Follow-up focus groups uncovered certain patterns of shopper preferences. "Shoppers seek a destination, a place where it looks like something special is happening," says Fenstermaker. "Also, the words 'symmetry' and 'balance' came up repeatedly." Other takeaways, she notes, include the importance of using higher quality materials, establishing permanence (i.e., displays that appear fixed or built-in versus temporary) and offering either a surprise or a payoff such as a meal solution or a great price.Consumers also revealed preferences for displays with rounded edges. "People are taught to avoid sharp corners. Rounded edges proved to be less threatening and encourage exploration," says Fenstermaker. "The question we asked is: Is there a universal attraction that appeals to all shoppers?" The answer, according to the study, is yes. All age groups gave the "Shop 1" configuration the highest scores. However, the focus groups did show a difference in underlying attitudes. Boomers, for example, showed the highest emotional involvement in center store exploration, and their focus was providing value for their families. Millennials were far less emotionally involved and expressed a desire for the center store to be more like the perimeter.

Understanding Aisle Attraction

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