I love examples of basic applied customer experience without the use of technology. The last time I blogged on a grocery store concept is was all about the technology – the use of QR codes to create a new kind of shopping experience. Recently, I came across a grocery store in New York City that did something a bit more basic. They thought about a particular segment and designed an experience for it (no technology involved).
The New York Post reports that Westside Market has created a “Man Aisle” to make it easier for men to make their selections. Some ESPN research shows that 31 percent of men are shopping for their families, up from 14 percent in the 1980s. Westside market jumped on this bit of information creating the “Man Aisle”. Men are also forgetful and do not tend to carry shopping lists when it come to shopping according to Westside Market. So they created a shopping experience to accommodate the trend and the behaviour.
The “Man Aisle” is stocked with everything a reluctant shopper might need from condoms to steak sauce. In classic customer experience form Westside Market also injected a bit of fun into their “Man Aisle” product mix including brand names that could be seen as tongue in cheek like Chock full o’Nuts coffee.
The reaction has been great so far.
| Qaalfa Dibeehi is Chief Operating and Consulting Officer at of Beyond Philosophy one of the world’s first organizations devoted to customer experience. Qaalfa is an international co-author of Customer Experience: Future Trends and Insights. Beyond Philosophy provide consulting, specialised research & training from offices in Atlanta, Georgia and London, England. Follow Qaalfa Dibeehi on Twitter @Qaalfa_BeyondP |