Displaying products

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1. In pairs, discuss which part of a supermarket you would normally find the following
items in and why:

fruit and vegetables
batteries
sweets and small bars of chocolate.


2. Look at the chart below. On the left there are a number of words/phrases used in
the field of product display. Match the words with their meanings on the right.

Words/phrases used in
product display
Meanings
1. to stack a) a corridor that customers walk through, with
products on either side
2. check-out b) food that hasnt been frozen or canned
3. aisle c) food thats kept at -18C
4. eye level d) to put products on top of each other on the shelves
5. fresh produce e) directly in line with a customers eye
6. frozen produce f) place where customers pay for the products theyve
bought


3. A lot of time, thought, and energy go into the design of a supermarket. Get into
groups of four and discuss why the following factors are important in the design
process:

a) the width of the aisles
b) the number of lines (i.e. individual products)
c) the direction customers walk in (clockwise/anticlockwise)
d) the height of the stacks of e.g. cans
e) the cleanliness and orderliness of each product.


4. Stay in the same groups of four. Youre going to design a supermarket. First decide:

what kind of customers you are catering for (budget/mid-range/up-market)
a name (youll need to design a logo)
the main colour(s) visible from the outside of the store.


5. Use A3 paper and coloured pens to draw the supermarket from a birds eye view.
Show the entrance, exit, the aisles, the main display areas, and the check-outs.


6. Take turns to visit other groups supermarkets and to explain your own design
decisions to visitors.


Displaying products
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Teachers notes

Aims:
understand vocabulary concerned with product display
discuss supermarket design
design a supermarket
give a presentation of this design.

Timings:
1. 5 minutes
2. 5 minutes
3. 15 minutes
4. 15 minutes
5. 30-40 minutes
6. 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the class.
Total time: 1 - 2 hours.


Key

1. Suggested answers:
The sight of fruit and vegetables is colourful and welcoming so you find them just inside the
entrance.
Small products like batteries, sweets and chocolate bars can be found at the check-out
because customers may buy them on impulse.

2. 1d; 2f; 3a; 4e; 5b; 6c

3. Suggested answers:
a) A wide aisle is much more comfortable but means less stock is available for purchase.
b) Customers like to have many check-outs but they cost money to staff.
c) Up-market supermarkets have more lines. Displaying them is more difficult but
customers expect to see these products.
d) Anti-clockwise arrangements result in greater purchases!
e) High stacks represent good use of space but cannot be reached by shorter customers.
Products positioned at eye-level are the most likely to sell.
f) If items are dirty or look muddled they look much less attractive than clean orderly ones.

4. Give each group a letter, A, B, C, D, etc. and each member of the group a number, 1, 2, 3,
4, etc. Thus, your original groupings will be:

A1, A2 B1, B2 C1, C2 D1, D2
A3, A4 B3, B4 C3, C4 C3, C4.

When students present their designs, have them regroup by number and take turns to give
their presentations:

A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4, B4,
C1, D1 C2, D2 C3, D3 C4, D4.