Thanks to a generous wife, I am now wearing a Pebble on one wrist and a Fitbit Force on the other. Even though she wasn't generous enough to give me Google Glass, clearly it was a wearable holiday at our house. I felt a bit behind these items by giving her a new iPad - how last year... or even, how two years ago.

One of the biggest flashes of insight I had about the grocery was the realization that it could be just like the jewelry store.

I was walking through a grocery store with a woman as she shopped. We weren't even calling this a "shop-along" yet. She put something in her cart. I remember it being a jar of mustard. I looked at her, and she knew what I was thinking. "This is a little present for myself. No one else in the house really likes it." She paused for a moment. "I really like getting presents. You can't buy a new pair of earrings every day, after all."

By Bob Relihan, Senior Vice President

We often encourage consumers to think "metaphorically." In a focus group or interview, metaphors can be powerful. Those who use them open up. They move in new and unexpected directions. Ultimately, the metaphors put us in touch with the unconscious motivations and beliefs of the consumers who create them.

There is a good deal of received wisdom about the grocery store design and how it can both engage the consumer and structure their progress through the store. The strategy of placing the more engaging areas, such as the deli and meat, around the perimeter of the store and the packaged items in the center of the store is well known. End-caps capture attention as well as the shelves at eye level.