Last night, after his soccer practice, my son and I stopped off at my favorite grocery store, Wegmans, to buy some urgently needed items from my wife’s grocery list, a task that should’ve only taken 15 minutes and cost $20. Well, 50 minutes and $85 later, I came out, even more joyous than I walked in.
Wegmans is an experience, one that is enjoyed by people of all ages, sort of like the Disney of grocery stores. Their approach, like mine at Island Ship Center (which is an attempt, albeit on a tiny scale, to mimic Wegmans), is to make the mundane extraordinary and provide an unforgettable experience, resulting in higher sales, consistent buyers and huge word of mouth promotions from their existing clientele.
Furthermore, Wegmans ranks in the top 10 every year for Best Places to Work (since 1998), proving that a profitable business does not have to be selfish, unkind or unfair in order to achieve financial success.
As we walked down each aisle, my son Yusuf, who works with me at our store after school, noticed the merchandising aspects of each department, correctly pointing out how healthy products are showcased and promoted. There is ample lighting in the store, so much so that even the impulse items by the cash registers are specifically lighted to stand out!
Currently, some of our stores are cluttered with very awesome products, but it’s TOO MUCH for the eyes, ears & feet, sort of like an overload for the senses:
We need to simplify and balance out our merchandising; take a ride to a nearby, neighborhood business and see how its shelves are laid out; get ideas from other small & large businesses in your neighborhood. That really helps.
In conclusion, we as independent mail and business store owners need to follow the Wegmans model in terms of store design, slowly but surely, in order to grow and prosper in our industry, in order to effectively meet the challenges of the 21st Century business environment, and in order to stay ahead of our competitors.
I wish you much success in your store redesign efforts.
With gratitude, effervescence & civility,
Fahim Mojawalla, AMBC Director of Social Media
Co-Owner of Island Ship Center, An AMBC Certified Store
#SpaOfShipping #FahimFix #ExudeExcellence
10 Minutes from Niagara Falls, USA
1879 Whitehaven Road
Grand Island, NY 14072
Phone: 716-773-6300
Website: www.IslandShipCenter.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FahimShips
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/IslandShipCenter
Source: AMBC Blog