Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing, Second Edition

2. Transitioning Retailers from Passive to Active Mode

By Mark Heckman

Over the span of more than 30 years in the food retailing business, I have come to grips with the concept that good merchandising will likely remain a mix of art and science. More than 30 years ago, as an eager but inexperienced assistant supermarket manager, I took great pride in planning and building impactful displays throughout the store. After completion, I would step back and admire my work. I took care to ensure the display was shoppable, meaning that the customer could easily access the items. The display had to be impactful, meaning it had to have a subjectively noticeable presence. And it had to be clearly priced. If my work met those basic thresholds, it was deemed ...