Search in the grocery store?
I ran to the grocery tonight and spent about 30 minutes looking for something (OK, if you must know it was a Dryel kit since I finally realized I am never going to find time to go to the dry cleaner’s).
So I got to thinking about it - why can’t grocery stores use search? I mean, when I walk into a store why isn’t there a kiosk where I can look stuff up and figure out where I need to go in the store to get it?
Initially I thought maybe they wouldn’t want people to be able to navigate more easily since so much of retail is based on cross-sells and upsells. Most cross-sells and upsells, however, are made in the same aisle as whatever you are looking for or near the checkout register - two places you would still have to go.
Despite any small disadvantage to potentially losing a few “walkaround upsells,” there is a clear advantage to Albertson’s giving me a more Google-like experience: whenever somebody searches for something they don’t have they can log the query in a database. This database could be mined to determine what products they should be stocking.
The cost of the system could probably be completely offset (and then some) by letting advertisers bid on keywords. Looking for root beer? How about a 25 cent off coupon from ibc printed right there at the kiosk?
Maybe somebody somewhere is doing this. If not, somebody needs to. Confused men walking around in grocery stores everybody would thank you.
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Interesting idea, I have a friend trying to build something exactly like this for HomeDepot.
Comment by Cameron Olthuis — January 4, 2007 @ 12:35 am
I certainly hope your friend is successful. As somebody who maybe goes in a homedepot every 2 months or so I can never find ANYTHING in there
Comment by admin — January 4, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Was it Allen’s (the most poorly organized grocery store on the face of the planet)? I bet you could start a business installing these machine and then selling space to advertisers. You could print out shopping list tickets with the locations of all the items on them.
People could log in at home and print out their tickets and bring them into the store or pay extra to have the items all gathered up when they get there - or pay a lot extra and have them delivered. As long as the system is in place, you may as well go all out.
Comment by Sam — January 4, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Preston,
I have wondered this same thing for a long time now!! I can picture this kiosk in my head… it’s a cross between a small ATM and a CoinStar. Better why not web enable it so can just search from my Treo as I am walking up and down the isles?
Comment by dmerton — January 4, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
I think you’re on to something there - I would also prefer checking locations right from my handheld. Having it web-enabled would also allow my wife to print out the aisle numbers for me before sending me off by myself - it could save me hours and I’d be loyal to any store willing to make the leap!
Comment by admin — January 4, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
Interesting idea. I’ve wasted hours of my life wandering grocery store aisles (or trying to find a store associate to ask them where an item is).
I heard that Albertson’s online shopping was a major flop so maybe grocery stores are a little reluctant to take significant steps in technology, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see them eventually adopt the idea.
Comment by cameron gibbs — January 5, 2007 @ 12:15 am