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Grocery Store Round-Up Featuring: Smart & Final, Whole Foods, Albertson’s, Ralph’s, Von’s, and Fresh & Easy Express Jon Krueger Los Angeles, CA Venture Labs Creativity Course

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Submission for Venture Labs Creativity Assignment #2

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Page 1: Grocery Roundup

Grocery Store Round-Up

Featuring: Smart & Final, Whole Foods, Albertson’s, Ralph’s, Von’s, and Fresh & Easy Express

Jon KruegerLos Angeles, CA

Venture Labs Creativity Course

Page 2: Grocery Roundup

WHOLE FOODS M.O: Whole Foods Market provides a wide selection of specialty foods and spirits, organic produce, off-brand house-hold products, and generally caters to a wealthier healthy-conscious customer

Observations:1. Whole Foods focuses its packaging, layout, and vibe on a

welcoming familiarity to the shopper. Everything purchased here feels like it could be sourced from local farmers / markets, or was produced in a small Mom & Pop shop.

2. The store smells very good when first walking in, and lighting is impeccably bright and warm. This contrasts the feeling of a blinking, fluorescent lit warehouse like Smart & Final.

3. Free samples are scattered around the store covering cheeses, oatmeal cookies, and fruit. This inspires a sample and browse attitude for shoppers. People take their leisurely time shopping here.

4. Prices are set high to emphasize quality.5. Selection is diverse: Scamorza cheese and the “best

chocolate chip cookies in the world” will not be found at any of the 5 other grocery stores.

Page 3: Grocery Roundup

Smart & Final M.O: Smart & Final specializes in bulk quantities of food and utilities for families and businesses. No membership is needed.

Observations:1. Regular sized volumes are also available for purchase but the

price and selection does not seem ideal for the regular shopper.

2. I came to the realization: prices on everyday ‘to-go’ items, like paper coffee cups and lids, have a material cost. Everyday consumers who use these items, such as myself, often view these as free or complimentary.

3. Bulk quantities of popped buttered popcorn is a complete mystery to me. Most consumers want their popcorn hot and fresh, so this makes me wonder where large bags of popcorn are used.

4. Bulk packaging for most items is pretty basic looking aesthetically. Consumers of bulk goods are less concerned with sexy brand appeal, and adhere to a bottom line = price + quantity.

5. Customers enter Smart and Final to produce and fresh flowers.

6. Overhead music was 90s adult contemporary rock: SPIN DOCTORS!

Page 4: Grocery Roundup

Albertsons M.O: Albertson’s is a typical supermarket providing everyday brand-name and generic label groceries

Observations:1. Albertson’s welcomes its shoppers to fresh flowers, tomatoes, and

seasonal (Halloween) items.2. The produce and meat / seafood share an aisle, which combine many

perishable items that weekly shoppers restock their kitchens and fridges with often. By sharing this aisle, the air is very cold, making shopping for produce a chilly experience

3. End-caps of tortillas and other items get disorganized and unkempt on a late Sunday evening at this location.

4. Lighting is bright, but fluorescent light casts a sterile tone over the store, making it feel dated and older in comparison to other stores (Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, Ralph’s)

5. Prices and discounts are set for the typical family. Diversity of goods is average for the traditional supermarket, but traditional packaged brand name goods are available unlike Whole Foods

Page 5: Grocery Roundup

RalphsM.O: Ralph’s is a national supermarket (Kroger food brand) providing everyday brand-name and generic label groceries similar to Albertson’s and Von’s

Observations:1. Ralph’s welcomes its shoppers to baked goods, fresh flowers,

fancy cheeses, and the deli counter2. The overall shopping experience feels more well organized,

cleaner, and warmer than Albertson’s.3. Frozen food aisles use a well insulated doors, keeping the

aisles warmer in these aisles than Albertson’s4. I observed a store employee walking around keeping items

aligned on the shelves. The tortilla end-cap appears far more organized

5. Boring adult contemporary music is playing on the overhead speakers (Counting Crows). The music might be playful while also be unobtrusive, keeping the mood light for shoppers

6. Selection is pretty standard – while many deals abound and are highlighted by yellowed backed signs, requiring a free frequent shoppers card

Page 6: Grocery Roundup

VONSM.O: Part of the Safeway grocers, Von’s carries brand name and everything you’ve come to expect from a national grocery chain.

Observations:1. Von has 2 entrances. The left side opens to a small ready

made meal section (similar to Fresh & Easy), produce and a bakery (similar to Ralphs). The right side opens to a small in-store Starbucks.

2. The produce area is the most open & inviting of all 6 of the stores I observed.

3. The back left packaged pastry section carried name brand Hostess variety on one end-cap. The other end-cap carried the generic. The interesting thing was that only the Von’s generic carried the price, emphasizing the discount if you bought their brand. Hostess prices were no where to be seen.

4. Health conscious and accommodating Gluten-free goods can be found at the big national grocers, as seen in the fudge brownie photo.

5. The candy aisle is vast with no sales to be had in the home stretch to Halloween.

6. Music is adult-contemporary, bland, boring, and inoffensive.

Page 7: Grocery Roundup

fresh & easyM.O: Not a large supermarket, and not a boutique, Fresh & Easy is a mid-size grocery store that concentrates on offering fresh, ready made meals, while also supplying familiar brand name items.

Observations:1. Fresh & Easy Express opens its doors to ready made dinners

and lunches. Unlike many of the other grocery stores, flowers were not at the entrance, but instead located at a cap before the self-checkout

2. Colors focus around green and browns to emphasize fresh, ready to go groceries.

3. The Express version of the store occupies a small city corner and has only about 6 aisles

4. Of all 6 grocery stores I visited, Fresh and Easy was the only place a store employee asked if I needed any help finding anything. Ironically, was also the smallest store of all 6.

5. Based on the ready made single meals, and general clientele, Fresh and Easy appears to be marketing to the singles and too-busy-to-cook crowd