.. or it’s all in the looks. When I was in London, several of my friends mentioned Whole Foods – it was almost as if it was London’s latest tourist attraction. If you are anyway going near Kensington, drop in at the store, said one of my friends. So what’s the big deal about a new food store, even if it stocks and sells only organic stuff? Just go see it, he urged me, if only to see how they display stuff. I never knew it was possible to make eggs look so sexy.
Passing lightly over that, think about what that means – people walking into the store to look. More “footfalls” (interesting what a dreaded word that has come to be). But as in the case of shopping malls all over India, how much of it actually converts into sale, I wonder? Especially with a premium brand as this, with organic foods already perceived as expensive (and perhaps, not worth the money? by many), and with several competing, well-established stores offering much better rates to the not-so-discerning but value-conscious shopper.
In other words, what do sexy eggs do for a consumer? Do they actually egg you on to purchase? (heh, noticed that?) Several reports I read say that for the US customer, Whole Foods has created a “pleasurable shopping experience” – organic, good-looking and fresh all the time.
From Is Whole Foods the next Starbucks? on msn – Make no mistake, consumers pay more for the Whole Foods experience. But nobody shopping there seems to mind one bit. In fact, whenever I shop there the stores are crowded. Additionally, the company’s internal data suggests that consumers spend more time in its stores than in traditional supermarkets because of the unique variety of products. But isn’t that a niche segment – a consumer who will shop repeatedly and regularly at the store? What happens when the novelty value wears off for the regular supermarket customer?
I thought about Whole Foods when I read this morning about what Rashmi has to say about Croma, the newly opened electronics store in Belapur. So, how does a retailer convert the “shopping experience” into a confirmed purchase? And then repeatedly at that?
You have ended with the million dollar question really! Malls like Whole Foods succeed in drawing more visitors but will they sustain doing so? And more importantly, will the customers buy!? I believe people are taken in by ‘looks’ only for a short time. A majority of customers want ‘value’ or their purchase and I don’t think they will pick something just because it is presented in a nice way.
Anyway, your blog abounds with articles on diverse topics. Great!
Sathej
the matter of sopping malls and peculiar methods of consumer attraction as well as comsumer’s manners are like fever 140 degree. It is high but it will fall soon. Small venders and tradors shall sustain much more that shopping malls because of usage of a basic trick. Human being needs to get involved into informal, entertaning and alive exprience of interaction which in a local shopping street they can recieve but not in the classy looking shopping mall. Music, sexy sale women and all other provision can not be substituted in palce of particular flavor of human interaction. On the other hand with regard to the previous comment I have to say the very main reason of success of shopping mall in India is Good Presentation notthing else.
Sathej, I realy wonder when and how shopping malls in India will start making money. despite this, there is a new mall coming up every month…
Younes, depends on what you call “success” of shopping malls…