Where's the beef (and beer)? Grocery store gives guys a 'man aisle'

MSN ^ | 07/26/2012 | By Jessica Chou

[Responsibility2nd]

Sometime last year, Procter & Gamble Co. was throwing around some crazy ideas of creating a grocery aisle specifically for men, apparently a brand new breed of consumers walking around grocery stores.

The idea was to give the lonely male lost in a supermarket a fun shopping experience, putting everything a man's man would need in one place. And New York City's Westside Market has gone and done just that.

"People rarely cater to men in the supermarket," COO Ian Joskowitz told us over the phone. "So I thought let’s do something fun, get people talking, something guys would like. So we started discussion, and it’s funny because most of us came up with a very similar list."

[freedomlover]

They should also create a dinner in 30 minutes aisle.

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I can walk in my local Publix, grab a packaged selection of deli sandwiches or sushi and I am out in 10 minutes for never more than 6 bucks.

[discostu]

I always thought the deli and liquor departments (often times next to each other) WERE the man section.

[Night Hides Not]

It’s a good idea. They should also create a dinner in 30 minutes aisle. Full of good ideas and recipes. Folks might stop at the grocery store instead of McD’s.

A bag of chips and a six-pack of beer = a seven course meal.

[Hulka]

“The idea was to give the lonely male lost in a supermarket a fun shopping experience

Because everyone knows if a man shops by himself or is single he must be lonely. “

I guess that’s better than saying, “The idea was to give the lowly male. . .”

[Jack Hydrazine]

The Man Song
by Sean Morey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4O6l5zbN4

[Waryone]

This isn’t even new. For at least a few years they have had the beer and the pizza in the same aisle. The next aisle in one direction is the ice cream and in the other direction is soda and chips. They do make them walk all the way to the other side of the store if they want subs from the deli. But I guess the store hasn’t figured out that arrangement yet.

[Free Vulcan]

And tools! There should be tools there. A vast selection of meat, and of course grills to grill them on, and charcoal and lighter fluid. Throw some cigars in and a selection of whiskey and we’re getting somewhere.

[JRandomFreeper]

I get that all the time. I live alone because I WANT TO!

I'm never lonely, Jesus is always with me.

/johnny

[vwbug]

In the mens aisle all canned foods will have cooking instructions to use a 50 MegaWatt microwave for 3 miliSeconds

[Responsibility2nd]

Funnny?

And lots of men thought it was funny when that car park in Germany had designated “easy” spaces for women.

[wolfman23601]

I think it is a clever idea. When I go to the grocery store, it is usually to pick up a few things my wife didn’t get that would be on that aisle. It would certainly be convenient not having to run around the store looking for 10 items in 10 different places.

[kevkrom]

All joking aside, this is a Bad Idea™ in terms of the grocery store owners. The whole point of grocery store layout is to make it inconvenient for the shopper, making them traverse as much of store area as possible to get to the most commonly-desired items, so that they will buy more stuff on impulse, seeing it as they pass by.

[MarkeyD]

Does it have girls on trampolines?

[Cyber Liberty]

It’ll never last. Essential items are strewn all over the grocery store floor for a reason.

[tacticalogic]

It should be located right next to the open-topped freezer cases full of “chick” things.

[Brookhaven]

But, by putting items together that one demographic buys (men) it might also increase impulse buys.

If a guy comes in to get a six-pack of beer sees some chips and salsa near the beer, wouldn’t he be likely to buy that on an impulse?

IMHO, this idea was created to increase impulse buying, as men are less likely to wander around the store looking for items. Men tend to go directly for the item they want, then leave. Women tend to wander around a little to see what’s there.

Men purchase, women shop.

[Responsibility2nd]

That is (regrettably) true.

When the new HEB was bulit by my house - they designed it so that you have to head to the far south (or north) end and then double back to the check out lines. You can’t simply head down any aisle any more to the check outs. The bakery department blocks any easy access to the exits.

Once you’re in - they want to keep you in. And they make it harder to dash in - grab 10 items - and then dash out.

[MarineBrat]

If there’s no guns and ammo it’s just a pretend man aisle.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

I’ve always called it the “Oppressed Minorities” aisle. since it usually contains Asian selections, too.

Dominick’s, in the Chicago Area calls it the “Ethnic Foods” aisle.

[Responsibility2nd]

I'm never lonely, Jesus is always with me.

 

Cool. Jesus is with me every Thursday morning.