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Pingo Doce: new supermarket design
I had this post in draft for a while but a conversation with a friend at lunch prompted me to publish it.
For a while I had this though that supermarkets should include Information Architects and Usability Experts in their design teams. Designing a supermarket is in many ways similar to designing a website. Customers needs should come first knowing that that will bring more costumers, make them happier and of course ending up making more money.
Last month I went shopping in one of Faro’s Pingo Doce supermarkets and had a nice surprise. A completely different supermarket from the same-as-the-others Pingo Doce Portuguese chain.
From what I was able to check with the manager, this branch is undergoing a pilot test for the new brand that Pingo Doce wants to implement. What is amazing about this is they’re not only changing their image (logo, signs, etc) but also changing their store design and for the first time, thinking about their customers first.
The new supermarket features shorter aisles, new easy on the eyes lightning above all shelves and a new strategy for product layout and positioning. In this shop all the food and drink products are the first thing you see when you come in and household goods are more towards the end of the shop. There’s a bakery and a fish market clearly signed by Portuguese and English signs. All leading to a better user experience!
I had the memory of seeing something similar in London, Sainsburys Market near Victoria station. At the time I was amazed but the market feeling of a supermarket. Here’s a very good first-person description of what is it to visit one. Sainsburys has since tried the concept in other place and is applying the concept further moving into integrating sustainable architecture principles into the design of the supermarket store.
Pingo Doce is only a pilot and the owner company is saying that new shops could be different from this model. I hope not.
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5 Responses to “Pingo Doce: new supermarket design”
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That new Pingo Doce is the nearest supermarket to where I live in Faro and I have to admit it’s kinda…weird. I mean, the things I need the most are right there, at the entrance. First time I went there I was so confused with the new layout that I had to look around to try and understand it. It’s nice indeed, but I still find it really weird everytime I go there.
The only problem so far is that the variety of products (or brands) is still not that high as in it’s predecessor (Feira Nova).
The Pingo Doce in Faro is indeed a step in the right direction. The design is a major improvement and the attention to details is quite good.
My favorite part of the new changes has to be the fish section - for the first time in a Portuguese supermarket I’ve seen fish, fillet! And the biggest plus of all, the plastic bags are environment-friendly.
But I agree with Tiago, the selection of products and produce is very limited. Hopefully this will be addressed in future Pingo Doce supermarkets.
The one in Picoas also follows the new design. I found it very aggreable but it’s hard to find a number of products. Certain types of products have been relegated to the aisle tops, which are used by all other supermarkets for promotions and because of that end up not getting my attention. My brain as already been formated to ignore these places when trying to find a particular product.
Other than that I really like the new Pingo Doce.
@Tiago, @Moses: I hope they read this feedback!
@morgy: I didn’t know that Picoas was like that. Thanks for the tip!
This store reminds me of a store in the US that I absolutely fell in love with called, Kowalskis (http://www.kowalskis.com/). They were one of the first food chains that wanted the customer to have a relaxed and elegant shopping experience. When you first walked into the door, the scent of flowers encompassed you as you passed through a sea of brightly colored daisies and lush green plants. You then encountered the fruit and vegetable section, containing fresh produce that was well displayed and easy to get to. The remainder of the store was laid out as you would have it on your shopping list. Essentials came first (fruit, veggies, cheese milk), followed by meats and fish, followed by breads and cereals, and finally household goods. Lighting was soft, the smell of fresh bread was always in the air and I always felt a warm, cozy feeling. Is the “experience” worth the price? Personally, I think it is!