[Sigia-l] mixing apples and oranges and tomatoes

[Betsy Vera]

On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, Cunliffe D J (Comp) wrote:

> I think supermarkets are actually a really nice (but not necessarily good)
> example of IA in practice.

Agreed, for the most part, but the exceptions can make shopping
frustrating (until you figure out your local store's quirks). For
instance, at my old local store, the store-brand grated Parmesan is kept
next to the dry pasta.  However, the name-brand grated Parmesan is kept at
the other end of the store, next to the peanuts and beer. The fancy
name-brand grated Parmesan is kept in the refrigerated section, close to
the regular cheese.

I understand that shelving decisions are made based on who pays more for
prime shelf space, but as a customer I'd prefer all the grated Parmesans
to be together. When I feel myself being manipulated to choose one
specific variety or brand by making it inconvenient to find the others, I
become ornery and make a point of tracking down the product *I* want to
buy.

Maybe supermarkets need to come with search engines. I've seen some that
have an index of sorts: a list of most common items, and their aisle
locations, attached to the front of the shopping cart. It's a start, I
guess.


 Betsy Vera - bentley at umich.edu - http://www.BetsyDa.com/bedlam.html
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