C+R recently attended the Home Improvement Research Institute Conference in Oak Brook, IL.  While attending this conference, we heard some things about the home improvement industry and the economy in general that got us thinking. This is one industry where consumers are also producers, and the evolving consumer journey must rise to this juxtaposition.

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."

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.