Benefits and Features of Supermarkets
Supermarkets have some distinctive features or characteristics described below
1. Self Service
The most distinctive feature of the supermarket is the absence of salesmen and shop assistants to help the customers.
These stores are operated on a self-service basis. Customers themselves choose and carry the products.
They solve their own buying problems. They wheel the trolley to make payment.
2. Low Price Appeal
Self-service combined with the large buying power and the low percentage of profit margins means that supermarkets can sell at low prices.
This low price appeal is an important feature of supermarkets.
3. Pricing Policy
Self-service combined with the large buying power and the low percentage of profit margins means that supermarkets can sell at low prices.
This low price appeal is an important feature of supermarkets.
4. Thin Gross Margin
Having very thin gross margins, supermarkets need high levels of inventory turnover to achieve satisfactory returns on invested capital.
5. Variety of Merchandise
Supermarkets usually is an institution in the grocery retailing field.
But supermarkets sell various kinds of merchandise, including building materials, office products, and of course groceries.
6. One-Stop Shopping
In recent decades supermarkets added various non-food lines to provide customers with one-stop shopping convenience and it improve the store’s gross margins.
7. Offer Services
Supermarkets usually offer services such as laundry, dry cleaning, shoe repair, check cashing and bill paying video rentals, restaurants, delicatessens, financial institutions, and pharmacies.
8. Giant Especially Stores
In recent years, supermarkets have been seen to appear as giant specialty stores and so-called “category killers“.
9. Parking Space
They are located in a place where consumers are given facilities like parking.
Some supermarkets are successful without providing space.
The trend, however, is to provide more parking space.
10. Advertisement
They use heavy advertisements and mass displays of merchandise.
11. Credit
No credit facilities are offered by these supermarkets.
12. Departmental Type
These are organized on the basis of the departmental type of organization like catering to the needs of customer under one roof.
13. Low Operational Expenses
The operational expense in the case of a supermarket is less as compared to other similar retail trade organizations.
14. Attractive Packaging
Packaging of goods is given more attention in the supermarket because the customer is not guided by the salesmen in buying goods.
15. Central Location
It must have a central location and expert management to secure a very high turnover.
16. Company Form
All supermarkets at present are usually run by limited companies.
17. Discount
Selling At present, discount selling in food articles is also undertaken by the supermarkets.
18. Novel Form
A supermarket is a novel form of retail organization specializing in necessaries and convenience goods.
19. Centralized Payment System
The supermarkets have developed a centralized payment system.
When the customer has completed his shopping he brings the trolly to a fixed place, generally near the exit door.
The payment is made to the cashier who sits at this gate. 21 Advantages and Disadvantages of Chain or Multiple Stores.
20. Study of Consumers Psychology
Consumers’ psychological behavior is specially studied in supermarkets.
Due to the absence of salesmen, it is not possible to gather information with regard to consumer’s buying behavior, attitude, interest, or reactions.
Hence, secret cameras are fixed to capture behavioral postures, facial reactions, and body language.
This helps in studying the consumers’ feelings and attitudes.