Just as priceless art is selected and organized in a museum by curators, items of everyday consumption are organized on the shelves of grocery stores. Some of the shelves are just as satisfying to stare at as priceless art, too. Take, for instance, the chocolate isle. We shall examine a section of the chocolate isle at the Albertson’s grocery store on Beacon St. of Boise, ID. The area to be discussed is roughly five feet high and three feet wide.
In the chocolate isle, the largest packages are found on the top shelf. They tend to be the most brightly colored packages, utilizing colors like sunny yellow, mint green, purple, and hard-to-ignore orange. Brands on this shelf include SkinnyCow, m&m, Ghirardeli, Butterfinger, Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Rolo. The middle two shelves harbor slightly smaller packages with richer colors, such as candy apple red, dark chocolate, and night sky blue. The selection of candies here includes Godiva, Lindt, Simple, more Ghirardelli, Circle, and gold-foil-wrapped Ferrero Rocher truffles (Note: these last ones are running quite low). The last two shelves hold the smallest packages yet, which are all bars of chocolate wrapped in foil. To catch the eye, those on the very lowest shelf flash metallic (mostly gold) foil. To reach them, it is necessary to squat.
On every single package of chocolate is an illustration of the gooey chocolate hidden within. Sometimes the viewer/shopper is even presented with what the interiors of the chocolates themselves look like. In this way, the companies attempt to leave the shopper without question as to what they are buying, at the same time making sure to present the product as delightful. The only question remaining to the shopper then, is “But, what will it taste like?” They’ll just have to buy it to find out.
The only method of labeling is the use of bright yellow price tags beneath each type of candy. The candies on discount have larger tags that include red stripes and arrows. Since the store managers know that shoppers are more likely to buy discounted items and want shoppers to be aware of the good deals they are getting, the managers naturally emphasize any low prices.
In combination, all the methods of organization and labeling keep the shopper from feeling overwhelmed. The spacing is sufficient to allow distinction between types of candy and still ensure efficient use of space. Whether the shopper has come to choose a specific candy that they are devoted to or whether they have come with open minds, they will no doubt find something to their satisfaction in very little time.
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