Do Small Format Supermarkets Improve the Shopping Experience?: Field Study Assessment of Two Alternative U.S. Strategies

Industry reports have highlighted the trend for smaller format supermarkets in the food industry. Retailers such as Wal-Mart, Tesco, and Safeway see smaller format supermarkets as an opportunity to respond to the changing preferences of customers who are seeking a more convenient shoppability experience. This study investigates differences in small format retail strategies among retailers. A combination of direct observation in a naturalistic setting and Delphi methodologies were employed. A comparative analysis was performed to examine differences in strategy.