Effect Of Service Scape andBehavior

 CentralMarketattemptstochangetheentiregrocery shoppingexperiencefromtheproductsit stocks to the way people shop, the customer service, the store layout, and ancillary services offered. The founders wanted to create a farmers' market "look and feel" by offering only high quality, fresh products while also providing a vibrant, interactive atmosphere. Central Market wasdesignedtochangethewaypeopleateandhowtheypreparedameal.Explorationanddiscovery are encouraged as the customers make their way through, what some consider, adelectable labyrinth ofdisplays.

 TheentrancetoCentralMarketleadsintoanatriumthatcontainsaninformationdeskandasmallcoffeebar.Customersthenjoinaserpentineflowthroughafull-viewEuropeanstylecity market. Central Market calls this aforce flow as seen by the floor plan. Customers weave throughwindingaislesoffreshfruitandvegetablesbeforeentering"proteinalley"wherethey canpurchaseassortedmeatsandseafood.Awinery,bakery,deli,andfromageriedepartmentsfollow.Staplessuchascannedgoodsandbulkfoodsarehousedinthecentreofthe"maze."Escapepassagesthroughoutthestoreprovideshortcutstothecheckoutarea. Thefacilitylayoutisanalogoustotheconstructofafinemeal,thatis,vegetables,meats,wine,breadandcheeseinthatorder.BrianCronin,generalmanagerforCentralMarket,statesthedesignismeantto"funnelpeoplethroughthecoreproducts."Thedesign,however,isjustasmallpartofhowCentralMarketdeliversitsserviceconcept.CentralMarkethasachievedthelookandfeelsimilartoafarmers' market.Temperatureiscontrolledprimarilytoensureproductquality. Produce and meat departments are kept at 68 F, while the temperature in the preparationareasissetat50F.Therestofthestorehasaslightlywarmerenvironmentof about70F.Thearomaofcoffee,freshproduce,fish,andbakedgoodsgreetscustomersas theywalkthroughthestore.Freshnessisensuredbecauseproductsareshipped indaily. The spacing and functional landscape are also compatible with the farmers' market concept. Displays are arranged to emphasize an abundance of products. As products are sold, displays are rearranged to maintain visual aesthetics. Aisles are arranged to allow at least two carts topass one another. One example of the way the floor plan helps to achieve strategic goals (i.e., increase profitability) isthe location of alcoholic beverages in the forced flow model. The mainthoroughfare divides the beer andwine section and creates an opportunity for browsing and impulsepurchases. The store design is remarkably flexible. Displays are added or removed dependent upon seasonalityandcustomer demand.Forexample,thefloraldepartmentcanbeexpandedduringFebruary for Valentine's Day or reduced when customer count is expected to be high during holidayseasons. A "caf on the run" area is located near the express checkout. Shoppers with moreitems usethe standard multiqueue and canengage in jockeying. The perception of waiting in line is often moreimportantthantheactualdelay,thusaddtheflowershopbehindthecounter. Signs, symbols, and artifacts again are consistent with the farmers' market theme. Signs arehandmade and painted by three people on the store art team. Pastel colours are usedthroughoutthestore,onsignsandontheenormouscutlerysculpturesinthecaf.Color-coding is used toidentify organic and Texas-grown produce. These environmental dimensions are manipulated by Central Market to entice the customer to shop longer and buymore.

TheCentralMarketexperienceisawonderfulassaultonthesenses.Customerscansee,smell,feel, and even taste products. Variety is apparent as produce fromall over the world is presented.Customersspendextratimeinthestorebecausetheyarepresentedwithitemsthey haveneverseenbefore,andthefacilitydesigncontrolstheirtravelpath.Theaverageshopper spends45minutesinCentralMarket,butonweekendscustomersfrequentlylingerbecauseof special displays and demonstrations, as well as increased congestion. The experience of shopping at Central Market appears to beaddictive. Central Market is, in fact, the second- largest tour destination in Austin. Shoppers also end up spending more than they planned even though Central Market doesnot stock standard grocery items such as soft drinks, chips, paper goods, and cleaning supplies. The average customer check is significantly higher when compared to the industry averageof$20. Products cost more because oftheir uniqueness, freshness, and quality. Impulse purchasingisfacilitatedbynumerousopportunities tosampleproductsandbecausethefacility design creates bottlenecks and waiting areas near appealing products suchas flowers, wine, and baked goods. Central Market customers' biggest complaint about the experience is the store layout, andthey usually must learn thelocation of different items through repeat visits. Norientationaidssuchasastoremapandsignsarescarce.Perhapsthislackofdirectionisnot an oversightafter all, Central Market is about discovery.

Answerall questions.

1. Basedontheinformationgivenabove,drawtheidealfloorplanforthisfacility.

2. Why does the Central Market need to have the express checkout? Does this benefit to the customers? Discuss.

3. Howdothe environmental dimensions of the servicescape explain the success of Central Market? Elaborate THREE points.

Source.Case of Central Market, Cengage2019.