Retail Display Research

For my retail display research I went to Woolworths to look at the various ways their produce and products were being displayed and what message this was conveying to the consumer.

How does the display of products in a supermarket vary?
The displays in the supermarket varied quite a lot depending on what was being advertised. In the Woolworths that I went to there was a stand advertising Homebrand products which was very plain and didn't have any colours other then red. The poster was very simple and focussed on the customer saving money and the products being cheap. 

This Woolworths had a sushi stand with a chef making sushi. The display of this sushi stand had a banner with photos of sushi and some information about the sushi. You could see into the kitchen where the chef prepares the sushi and see all the ingredients and equipment. The sushi was then packaged and laid out on a shelf that had ice cubes visible under a plastic layer. This all shows freshness and quality and a sense of professionalism and restaurant quality. 

The difference between the display of these two products at Woolworths shows how Woolworths portrays their products to the customer and how they can convince a customer to spend more on a box of sushi then they may otherwise do if it were just sitting on a shelf. It also shows how they convey what is a cheap deal for a product and show people that if they want to save money they can buy homebrand items.


What does the display say about the products (ie. how are the vegetables displayed and how does this convey an idea about "freshness")?
The vegetables are displayed on cardboard boxes that have a print on them to make it look like wooden crates. This gives the customer the idea that it is similar to a fresh farmers market and that all the ingredients are fresh. Hanging from the ceiling above the fruit and vegetables was fake vine leaf plants. This also helps convey freshness to the customers as if the produce is fresh from the vines.

What visual clues are given in a supermarket display to make you feel something about a product (ie. excitement because the product is "new" or to give you an idea about the "quality" or "freshness" of a product)?

Woolworths uses many visual clues to the customers and shows them what to expect from the products they are buying. The fruit and vegetables are made to look fresh with the look of a farmers market and the vine leaves hanging. The sushi is made to look fresh and high quality as it is made right before the customers eyes in a mini kitchen. The homebrand items are made to look cheap and as if you are getting a good deal from buying a simple homebrand product over the more expensive products with lots of colour and design work on the packaging. There was also a display of nuts that were shown in baskets. Next to this display there was a cheaper brand of nuts in plain cardboard display. The use of baskets helps convey to the customer that these nuts are higher quality and therefore customers are willing to pay a higher price.