Justification and Reasoning for Supermarket Design Choices

By Steve Wang

The design of the supermarket is closely related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the perception process. These two articles briefly discuss Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the perception process, respectively.



GOAL: The main goal of this supermarket is to ensure that people can shop and leave as quickly as possible. If people leave quicker, more customers can enter, and they may feel more comfortable coming back frequently because of the quick shopping experience and less crowded store. Therefore, the supermarket combines features of both a traditional supermarket and a convenience store.



ENTRANCE: When customers enter the supermarket, strong air conditioning will be used to encourage them to shop quickly because if people feel cold, they want would want to go someplace warmer. Additionally, quick and upbeat music will be played, and every 6 minutes, there will be an announcement about the time along with a metaphor emphasizing the value of time. The music and announcements will motivate people to move faster. The cold air conditioning will also prompt customers to shop quickly to avoid the cold environment. (Audio can be heard if the audio is turned on in the supermarket simulation section). The cold air will also wake up the customers allowing them to shop quicker.



GRID/LAYOUT: The supermarket will be laid out in a grid pattern, and at every intersection, customers will be able to see the exit. Seeing the exit will remind people to shop quickly and pay attention to the time. Customers will associate the exit with shopping quickly and leaving promptly. The front of the store will be open, allowing customers to enter from any direction. The path will be divided into two parts, one for each direction, to facilitate smooth movement without collisions. If customers want to use the vending machine on the other side, they will have to change lanes and go in the opposite direction. Lane changes can be made freely at any point. (See supermarket simulation).

FLOORS: The floors will have magnetic strips to guide the trolleys in the correct direction and ensure quick movement, similar to a maglev train. This will allow the customers to move quicker hence shopping quicker. This also enhances safety by keeping the customers on track and preventing collisions with vending machines or other customers. If a trolley is about to collide with someone or another trolley, it will automatically stop, as it is designed to prioritize customer safety. For more information on supermarket safety, refer to the trolley section.

SUPERMARKET APP: An app that will be used to pay, collect, and will gelp customers navigate through the supermarket.

TROLLEYS: The trolleys will have magnetized wheels to interact with the floor and facilitate smooth movement. They will also be equipped with reusable airbags that will deploy if the trolley needs to stop abruptly. In case customers do not wish to walk or find it difficult to keep up with the quick pace, the trolleys will have a platform to stand on. A clock on the trolley will remind customers of the time, keeping their attention focused. There will also be a designated area for customers to place and charge their phones, enhancing the functionality of the supermarket app. If trolleys move too slowly for an extended period, they will start flashing bright and vibrant colors in quick succession which will create a sense of urgency if someone is looking at something for too long. It will create a sense of urgency because it is annoying and people will want to turn it off. They will have to move to turn it off. This relates to capturing customers' attention to the essential aspects, such as time and products, while minimizing distractions by keeping other areas dark and only highlighting relevant elements.

LIGHTING: A unique feature of the supermarket is that there will be light only where there are people present. For example, the floor arrows will light up when people are nearby, while the rest of the store, except the product section, will be dark. This technique manipulates the attention aspect of the perception process. Customers will focus only on the important elements such as products and other people to avoid collisions. This also fulfills the safety and security aspect of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. People will want a safe place to shop.



VENDING MACHINES: The supermarket uses vending machine-like systems for product retrieval. Customers input their orders, previously recorded on their phones using the supermarket app, into the machines. Scanning their phones on the machine's scanner will trigger the machine to place the products in their trolleys. If there is no trolley, the products will be lowered down in a basket, which customers can then take. However, the process is intentionally designed to be more cumbersome without a trolley, as having a trolley enables quicker movement, more purchases, and enhanced safety. Therefore, using the machine without a trolley will be slightly slower and more inconvenient. The implementation of vending machines contributes to customer safety by providing a designated area for trolleys, reducing the need for constant maneuvering to avoid collisions and ensuring smooth traffic flow. This satisfies the safety and security aspect of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

PAYMENT: Payment will only be done through the supermarket app, allowing customers to save time by paying outside the store and leaving directly with their products. This is the exclusive payment method to eliminate time wasted on in-store payment and waiting. Such an approach helps organize the supermarket with convenience and efficiency, as one of the most time-consuming and slow processes is eliminated.



EVENTS AND OFFERS: The supermarket offers special events and deals to encourage quicker shopping. For example, customers who spend over a certain amount will receive free parking for 15 minutes. Additionally, the fastest shopper of the month, who spends over a specific amount, will receive a 20% discount on all products for a designated period. These offers and events motivate shoppers to prioritize shopping quickly. All these contribute to organizing quick shopping, to free parking, which encourages people to shop faster.

VISUAL LOGO: The supermarket's logo depicts a person running and pushing a trolley cart, indicating what customers should do in the supermarket. People can interpret the logo as a representation of the expected behavior in the store.

VISUAL ADS: Two ads are displayed in the supermarket, both aimed at encouraging customers to shop quickly. One ad promotes the current parking offer, while the other highlights the special shopping carts. These ads utilize the attention aspect of the perception process, being among the few additional stimuli in the supermarket besides the exit and vending machines. The ads are designed to be simple, direct, and easy to understand, without attracting prolonged attention. However, when customers glance at them, they serve as inputs that may influence their behavior.

PLACEMENT OF ITEM SECTIONS: The items that customers commonly grab quickly are placed at the front, such as the snacks section. Other frequently purchased products, such as fruits, vegetables, and meat, are located near the exit. Items of lesser importance in a supermarket, like healthcare and household products, are positioned at the back. This organization aspect of the perception process helps customers find the items they need more quickly. For example, if you think about broccoli, you think about vegetables. Broccoli will be placed in the vegetable section.

SAFETY: Trolleys will automatically move out of the way if they are about to collide with another trolley. If they cannot maneuver, they will stop or make way for other trolleys affected by the potential collision. Trolleys will also adjust their path or stop for customers without a trolley. Most customers are encouraged to use a trolley since the magnetic floor will lift and move the trolley with minimal effort required from the customer. Customers without trolleys will walk between or beside the trolley lanes, as the trolleys will avoid these areas. These measures relate to the safety aspect of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If the place is not safe no one would go there.

ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES: Water will be provided outside the store for customers who have completed their purchases. This satisfies the physiological needs on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

CONCLUSION: With these strategies, customers will shop more quickly as the most time-consuming aspects of shopping have been streamlined. The product selection process is conducted online and on customers' phones, while payments are made through their phones when choosing products.

Mcleod, S. (2022, November 3). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Niosi, A. (2021). The Perceptual Process. https://opentextbc.ca/introconsumerbehaviour/chapter/the-perceptual-process/