> >Wal-mart is alwayws like that. I think that the two big
> problems are that
> >the people that walmart emplys are untrained, and don't know
> where anything
> >is, and the stores are too big, and too poorly laid out.
Well, I can't speak for the training, but as for the layout, you'd be
suprised - these stores are very carefully laid out, based on precise
National surveys of buying patterns, with minor variations for regional
differences.
The thing is, though, they are laid out with a different goal than you might
think. The point is not to make anything easy to find, but rather the
opposite - to make sure that shoppers are exposed to as many products as
possible before they get to that one item they really intended to purchase
in the first place. Many purchases are 'impulse' purchases, rather than
planned, and the stores are laid out to take advantage of this bit of human
nature. Of course, there has to be some semblance of order - if everything
was just randomly thrown about people would just quit going to the store -
it has to be a balance.
FWIW, supermarkets are usually based on the same principles - ever wonder
why milk, eggs, and bread are usually at the very back of the store? You
have to walk through the whole store just to get at these most common items.
And don't even get me me started on the candy at the checkout counters . . .
RMartin
Tel Aviv
70 B
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