Tiger: How shop layout and the presentation consumables can draw us in.

Tiger have developed from a small Danish outlet store into a major European chain across more than 20 countries. They’re unique shops offer customers a fun and amusing shopping experience with a wide range of products to choose from. The shop has a circular layout by which the shopper has to walk around the entire store before reaching the check-out tills. This design means that customers have to walk past every product before they pay and exit the store. The more expensive products are often seen earlier on the shop route, followed by some of the cheaper items. This is no accident. This layout of consumables creates perceptual contrast. Seeing the expensive products first means that once the attention of the shopper moves to the cheaper items having not selected an expensive one, they seem even cheaper by comparison (Cialdini, 2007). Similarly, if a customer was the pick up a more expensive product it would seem like much less of a big deal to purchase a few cheaper products too as they are relatively so much more inexpensive. However, in reality, the cost of these items all adds up.

The presentation of products in Tiger stores is also particularly interesting as the store often capitalises upon evidence that somewhat untidy shelves and products presentation designs may lead to increased sales figures (Castro, Morales & Nowlins, 2013). People like to know that other people have been interested in the items they are interested in. This effect is explained by the concept of social proof. It isn’t by chance that products are left slightly out of place by employees when a previous customer has been playing with it.

Tiger stores engage with behavioural techniques that many other stores in the UK do not and by that factor they stand out and are different. Their widespread and speedy of success around Europe shows the power of their influential behavioural tactics.

References

Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. New York: Collins.

Castro, I. A., Morales, A. C., & Nowlis, S. M. (2013). The influence of disorganized shelf displays and limited product quantity on consumer purchase. Journal of Marketing, 77, 118-133.