UX Final Project

Andee Henriques
LTLE 611
Dr. Michele Estes

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Introduction
For my user experience project I observed people during their weekly (or daily) shopping trips to
the local grocery store. I was most interested in those shoppers who were using paper shopping
lists, as the task of navigating the stores with a cart is difficult enough (given the size of carts
relative to aisles and other shoppers) and becomes more difficult when one adds the task of
having to maneuver it while carrying a list and also tracking items on the list. I am interested in
whether a list slows shoppers down (by having to stop and mark off items) or makes a shopper
more efficient, by having a plan for their trip.
Procedure
To observer shoppers I chose MARTINs Grocery store in Waynesboro, VA. This store was
chosen because it was located close to my home and usually has a large number of shoppers
which would enable me to identify enough people with paper lists. The first times I visited the
store to do preliminary observations were on September 17th and September 20th. On these dates
I walked around the store to get an idea of how many people were shopping and if there were
shoppers using paper shopping lists. I noticed the majority of shoppers did not have lists. I did
see at least 10 shoppers with paper lists, so I felt that I could proceed with the project at this
location. At this time I also sketched an outline of the store, which I turned into a basic map. I
made copies of this map, which I then brought with me during later observations.
Individual shopper observations occurred on two separate days, due to the amount of time it took
to observe shoppers. For each shopper I observed the following procedures were followed:

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MARTINs Grocery store was notified of my intent each time I visited so there
would not be confusion when I was strolling through store taking notes. The
managers agreed to allow me to observe shoppers without disturbing them. I
showed them a copy of the syllabi to let them know this was a legitimate class

project.
Shoppers were identified when a paper list was seen being used. This usually

occurred shortly after they entered the store.

Shoppers were not notified of being watched. Observation occurred discreetly

and without disrupting normal shopping.

As the observer, I would stroll behind shopper or at the end an aisle and observe

how the use of a list helped or hindered the shoppers trip.

The map of trip was noted, as was time to shop.

After speaking with the management at MARTINs, I obtained my own cart to blend in and then
waited by the front of the store, for shoppers with paper lists to enter the store. When one was
identified, I would then observe their shopping trip.
Shopper #1
On Wednesday October 1st, at approximately 6:20 pm, shopper #1 entered MARTINs grocery
store. She was a female between 35 and 45 years old and was shopping by herself. She
appeared to be coming straight from work, as she was wearing dress clothes and shoes. She
placed her handbag in the child seat section and started towards the produce section. In this
section the shopper left her cart towards the outside section and would walk into the smaller
sections to get what she needed. She gathered several items before marking things off her list,
which was done by placing the list on her handbag, which was still in the child seat area, and
using this as a surface to write on. She proceeded to move towards the back of the store,

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specifically the meat section. Several more items were picked and up and she marked more off
her list, in similar fashion, by using her handbag to write on. At this point the list seemed only to
slow her down when she stopped to mark an item off, and it also seemed to keep her organized.
She then circled around and began to move up and down the aisles. She would place the list on
top of her handbag, but held the pen each time she moved the cart. At this point she checked her
list more frequently and navigating other shoppers while moving around the store slowed her
down, but only slightly. As she continued to shop and her cart filled up, she began to mark items
off the list in her hand (by cradling the list in one hand and writing), and sometimes on open
spaces in the shelf. By the time she reached the frozen foods (around aisle 17), her cart was full
enough that she found a flat place for her to lay the list down. This worked for her to look at the
list and check off items without taking up too much time or causing too much interference with
her shopping. This continued for the rest of her trip. She was very methodical about her trip and
went up and down each aisle and then checked items off her list. The entire trip took
approximately 40-45 minutes.
Shopper #2
On Sunday October 5th at approximate 10 am, shopper #2 entered MARTINs. The shopper
appeared to be between 55-60 years old, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and was shopping alone.
This shopper started in the produce aisle. Unlike shopper #1, this shopper weaved her cart in and
out of the section and stopped frequently to look at and pick out items. Each time she retrieved
an item, it was checked off the list. She certainly did not appear to be in a hurry. She would pick
up an item, stop, and mark it off her list by either putting the list in the child seat. After the
produce section, the shopper strolled up and down almost every aisle, skipping the organic
section. Even though she had a list, she still seemed to be browsing the aisles. She took her

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time and would stop and look carefully and compare items and check them off her list as she
placed them in her cart (at least this is how it appeared). She continued to use the space for the
childs seat or by placing it on a shelf to write/mark items off her list. When pushing the cart,
she would place the list in the small section/child seat area. Three times during the trip her pen
either rolled into the cart or onto the floor and she had to stop and retrieve it/search for it. This
shopper would also periodically hold her list and scan it as she was walking and push the cart
with her elbows. On several occasions she ran into aisles/shelves as she was looking her at her
list while pushing her cart. Nothing serious (no items fell), but it jolted her a bit and caused her
to pay a bit more attention. At this time of day the store was not too crowded, so she did not
have to contend with other too many shoppers. When she reached the last aisle, shopper # 2
returned to several aisles and picked up a few items, either things she forgot off her list or that
were not on her list. She then proceeded to checkout. The entire shopping trip took just over 70
minutes.
Shopper #3
On Sunday October 5th at approximately 11:45, shopper #3 entered MARTINs. She was a
female between 35 and 45 years of age. She was dressed in jeans and a top, and was shopping
alone. I selected her as my third participant not only because she had a paper list, but she was
similar to my first two shoppers and I wanted to maintain consistency. She was a female, similar
age parameter, and was shopping alone. This shopper also headed for the produce section first.
Her list was held in her hand most of the time, though a few times she placed it in the cart, on top
of the section where a child would sit. She weaved in and out of the produce section and when
she reached the end, she reached for her list to mark off items she had picked up. To cross off
items, she leaned on a shelf in the store. She must have forgotten something, as she went back

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and picked up an additional item before heading further into the store. She stopped by the deli.
She leaned on the deli counter to cross off more items. Again, she kept her list in her hand, along
with her pen. This shopper used the store as her base to lean on when marking items off her list.
She would lean on counters or shelves when she needed a place to write. After the deli, shopper
#3 moved up and down the aisles in a fairly standard pattern. Shopper #3 held her list in her
hand, looking at it to determine where to go next. Many times she would use her elbows to steer
the cart, leaning on it to push it forward, as she checked her list. She swerved a few times to
avoid running into things/people, but never did hit anything. She also had to backtrack a few
times when she must have realized she had missed things on her list (this is how it appeared from
where I was observing). This shopper spent approximately 50-55 minutes in the store.
Analysis
For this user experience I observed three shoppers who all used paper lists to assist them while
shopping in MARTINs Grocery store. All three were females, shopping alone, and using
standard grocery carts. While this is not a large enough sample to make conclusive predictions
about their shopping habits, we can begin to look for trends and similar behaviors. For example,
all three shoppers began their trip in the produce section and ended in the frozen food/dairy
section. This trend can be potentially explained by the fact that most shoppers will end in the
cold section to make sure cold items stay that way as long as possible, so this is not a surprise
(also store design?). All three shoppers also navigated the store in a fairly similar fashion, but
again this is not a surprise. Once they chose which side of the store to start on, it makes sense
they would follow a similar pattern up and down the aisles. Shopper #1 did go through the meat
section and then return to the aisles, but otherwise, they followed a similar pattern. As Table #1
shows, shopper #2 exhibited the most behaviors and also took the longest time to shop. This

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shopper held her list in all three identified way and wrote on her list in all identified ways. She
took her time browsing the aisles and it was not clear if the use of a list made her trip faster or
slower. For shoppers #1 and #3, it appears the lists did cut down their shopping time. Shopper
#1 did not return to any aisle for forgotten items after reaching the frozen food/dairy section.
Table #1
Shopper 1

Started in Produce Section

Shopper 2

Shopper 3

Used child seat to write on

Used shelves in store to write on

Held list in hand/wrote in hand

Wrote on items in cart

Placed list in cart

Started in Frozen Food/Dairy Section

Dropped list or pen

Navigated store in organized manner

x
x
x

Forgot items and had to go back

Pushed cart with elbows

Lost control of cart

Full cart of groceries

Took less than 30 minutes to shop

Took 30-60 minutes to shop
Took over 60 minutes to shop

Potential Solutions

x
x

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Although it is hard to draw conclusion, all shoppers appeared to have issues with using the list.
By this, I mean finding a place to place the list that was convenient and easy to write on was
difficult. There was not a consistent or easy place for any of the shoppers to mark items off the
list or hold the list. Shoppers #2 and #3 both had control issues with their carts while looking at
their lists and shopper #2 even ran into the aisle several times while moving the cart with her
elbows. I have come up with three potential solutions to help shoppers who use lists or who
carry other items.
The first image (Image 1) shows a shopping cart as it stands now. In current carts, there is
currently not a ideal location for a shopper to place or hold any items, aside from inside the cart,
which is made of a metal frame, or in the space meant to hold a child. The two biggest issues
with this design are that things can easily fall out of the cart, as the frame is not solid and if the
shopper has a child, there is no solid place to hold items. Additional, this seat was not designed
to hold things and is not convenient for shoppers who wish to use this for writing, as it is low and
the shopper needs to lean in at an odd angle.
Image 1

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Image 2

The first option I have come up with (see Image 2) is to make the child seat also convert into a
shelf, when not being used. The seat could slide up and be clipped onto the back of the cart.
This would allow shoppers a place to lay a shopping list, pens, coupons, or even a cell phone
when necessary. The shelf would also have a small clip that would attach to the paper so it
would not fly off while the shopper was moving around the store. This clip could also be used to
hold coupons or other items the shopper wanted to save during their shopping trip. It would not
take up space in the cart, so the area in the seat would still be available for groceries. This also

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would allow shoppers to use both hands to push the cart, while looking at their list, instead of
elbows or other body parts, allowing for better control of the cart. To modify the cart in this way,
the plastic seat that the child sits on would need to be adjusted so it not only flips up when not
being used, but slide up the back of the frame as well. Also, the addition of a small clip to hold it
into place would need to be added to the back, this would be necessary to ensure that it would
not poke a child or be a choking hazard. I am not a mechanical engineer, but this seems to be a
relatively minor adjustment. Although many shoppers are parents with young children, many are
not and do not use this feature on a cart. As the plastic seat is already installed, the modification
would not be difficult to add to the cart and add a nice feature for shoppers.
The second potential modification would be to add a small basket either to the side or front of the
cart (Image 3, below). This would give shoppers a place to hold small items, like a shopping
list, pen, coupons, keys, drink, or a phone (which many shoppers are using to store their lists). A
basket is convenient, allows easy access to items that shoppers might use during shopping (list,
pen) and would prevent them falling and getting lost). The shoppers I observed shopping were
placing their lists in many different places, none of which were very convenient for them. From
the child seat, to handbags, to items in their cart to finally holding their lists, shoppers struggled
to find places to hold their shopping lists that worked for them. Having a small basket would
easy access to their shopping list without worrying about losing it or having their pens dropping
or rolling on the floor. This option allows shoppers who have small children to use the child seat,
but still have a place to keep a list if they are using one. A basket does not take up any room
from where groceries would go, as it is it placed on the outside of the cart, it also takes up
minimal space on the outside as well. The baskets would be easy to add to carts already in stores
and therefore would not require store to purchase new carts, only the baskets themselves.

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Image 3

The final option would be to combine options one and two and have both a shelf and a basket on
the cart. By combining a shelf and a basket, shoppers have a choice and people love to have a
choice. This would allow the shopper the option to have a place to write and a place to hold
things while moving the cart around the store (see Image 4).
Image 4

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Conclusion
With a tight economy and the prices of groceries going up, many people may go back to using
shopping lists to help stretch their dollars. Shopping lists can help shoppers stay on task and
find items they need by grouping items together and providing order to the trip, all of which can
help the shopper be more efficient. The issues with paper lists in stores are trying to keep track
of them while navigating the isles with a grocery cart, many of which are hard to steer to begin

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with. On two separate occasions I observed shoppers who used paper lists while they completed
their grocery shopping. Issues that shoppers face when using a shopping list are where to place
lists during the trip, trying to find a flat surface to mark items off the list, and not losing the list
during the trip, all of which add to the challenge of trying to make it out of a store quickly. The
shoppers I observed were creative in finding ways to manipulate the cart (using elbows to steer)
and finding places to write (shelves in store, hands, using child seat or items in cart). While
these sound like relatively minor issues, they can add up in time and frustration for the shopper.
The main issue the three shoppers I observed had were finding a place to store/hold their lists
and being able to check/mark off items once they were retrieved. I proposed three solutions to
these problems, grocery cart shelf and grocery cart basket and a combination of the two. These
solutions provide the shopper with a place to store their list so they are able to focus on what
they entered the store to do, shop. The ideal situation would be to combine both on one cart and
shoppers would have a shelf and a basket. Shoppers, whether using a list, phone or just their
memories can benefit from any extra advantages stores can offer them. A place to store the small
stuff may not seem like much, but to the shopper trying to save time and money, little things can
mean a lot.