Processes and Technology and Capacity and Facilities - Discussion

Hello Everyone!

1. Identify supermarket/grocery market to discuss for this discussion thread.

I chose Wal-Mart because that is where I buy all of my groceries!

2. What departments within the market tend to be co-located (adjacent to one another)? Do you believe the co-location is planned? If so why?

I would have to say checkout and bottled soda products. How often have I gone to Wal-Mart and went grocery shopping and once I get to the cash register and see the cold diet coke in the fridge by the register, I all of a sudden get so thirsty that I buy one. I definitely believe that the co-location is planned. After spending an hour or two grocery shopping you get to the register and you see the cold beverages and you just have to have one. You grab one since it is nice and cold, this is especially true during the summer time!

3. What departments within the market tend to be distant from one another? What purpose is accomplished by separating these departments so far apart from each other?

I would have to agree with Ian on this one; definitely dairy products. Dairy products are always way in the back of a grocery store and that is so that every customer will have to walk through a maturity of the store to “get what they REALLY NEED”. However, on our way to the dairy section we stumble across the chips, meet, frozen products etc. and more than likely we will pick up something else that we “WANT”.

4. Why is the layout of the supermarket so important to the overall delivery of the products and services provided?

The layout is so very important. First of all the layout should be a convenience to the shopper. We like to go to an organized grocery store. Imagine if the lettuce was to be upfront and the onions were to be at the other end of the supermarket. That supermarket would not have much business because it would be completely unorganized and products would be very hard to locate within the store. Furthermore the layout is important in order to...