Why I will no longer “Stop & Shop” in Westport

I've shopped at Stop & Shop in Westport, Connecticut forever, first with my mom in the 1960’s when it was a little store; as a teen in the 1970’s; in the 1980’s when it became a Super store and I was a mom with three kids and through the 1990’s and 2000’s when I became caretaker for an elderly parent. Spending an average of $150 per week, 52 weeks a year, for about 30 years equals close to $240.000. How has Stop & Shop used my investment? One obvious thing is the new logo and color scheme. From new uniforms for the employees to printing the redesigned logo on every conceivable piece of merchandise – advertisements, bags, signage, receipts, courtesy cards, key fobs, ad infinitum. New colors and designs are nice, BUT not when important stuff is not addressed, like making sure its food and facility are safe and creating a shopping experience that is easy, enjoyable and affordable. Where do they go wrong? Here is a start:
• PARKING::: The lot is filled with giant SUVs, most of which are parked near the entrance. If I park my little car in a space that has clear views on either side I will inevitably come out of the store to find that I am surrounding by giant SUVs that I can’t see around or through. This means blindly backing up out of my parking spot which I do slowly and carefully – even so I've nearly run into a dozen people who are walking to the store as I am backing up. (How I would solve the problem: designate areas for parking by vehicle size, small vehicles in front, large ones in back.)
• ENTRY?::: The store entry/exit area is a confluence of people entering, exiting, checking out, getting a cart, returning a cart simultaneously in a small area with no marked lanes, signs or direction. When entering the store, you have your choice of two ways to begin shopping: if you turn right you will have on your left the back end of the checkouts, to your right, a DVD vending machine, a People’s Bank and the store customer service desk which combined, takes up about half the size of the store. If, instead of turning right at the entrance, you proceed to your left, you have to maneuver between tables containing special holiday offerings on your right, and on your left a seating area for workers and others taking a break, and next to that a self-checkout. In between these areas there are people entering, exiting or stopping to chat. (How I'd solve the problem: redesign the cart area, move the DVD vending machine, relocate the specialty items section to the area next to the pharmacy (where the self checkout counter is located); move the self checkout to the space where the specialty items were.)
• AISLES::: every aisle now has about three “Point of Purchase” displays (for "impulse buying). These self contained shelving units measure about 2’ x 4’ and are placed at an angle, displaying items from mayonnaise to toilet tissue. The angle and weight (too heavy to move) of these displays prevents two carts from traversing the aisle simultaneously – one person must stop to let the other pass. Forget it if you want an item in back of a display. Stopping to retrieve it will stop the flow of traffic. The result? If I can’t get to my merchandise, I will just buy it somewhere else. Most importantly, how are these obstacles not a fire hazard?!?! (How I'd solve the problem: POP displays would not be allowed in the aisles. If needed, make them flush with, or built into, the existing horizontal shelving.)
• SHELVING::: I'd buy it if I could reach it. I have climbed up shelves many a time to retrieve items but now the effort is too much. (Is this a grocery store or a gym?) (How I'd solve the problem: redesign stacking vertically so that the same items are available at different heights.)
• PRODUCE::: I'd buy it if I could get to it!! These aisles are blocked by “POP” displays AND grocery store staff with their work carts, loading and unloading merchandise. Why do this task during busy shopping times? Stop blocking the aisles! Do you NOT want me to shop here?? (How I'd solve the problem: no merchandising, employees or carts during peak hours.)
• QUALITY::: I've purchased items whose expiration dates have come and gone – this I don’t notice until I am at home, of course, because I’m too busy trying to maneuver around people and things in addition to - oh yeah, shopping - to read labels. Returning items is never a problem though; customer service gladly refunds the purchase price when I return to the store with the item and receipt. However, the last store slip-up was the final straw: I had gone into the store at around 5:00 pm to use the bank and grab a quick meal. After fighting my way through the store obstacles, I grabbed some hot chicken wings from the deli section (2.99 for 4 pieces) and a box of croissants from the store bakery (3.99 for a package of 4). I just had to check out...
• CHECKING OUT::: With saving time in mind, I often choose the self checkout. The way it works is something like this: hold your item with its bar code facing the bar code reader until you hear a sound like “boop”, then a computer voice says something like: “Package of croissants, 2.99. Please place your item on the belt” and when you do, the belt moves the item to the rear of the check out area - at least, it is supposed to; in reality what happens is that the belt, due to a design flaw, doesn't move your item all the way to the end of the check out area which triggers the computer to say “If you are done scanning, please press finish and pay”. You push the items to the end to the end of the belt and return to the front and scan more items, which again don’t make it to the end, triggering the computer voice... Meanwhile, people have formed a line waiting to check out and now you have an audience. Also, the check outs are located across from the Peoples Bank, a small area that employs 3 tellers who sit behind a glass counter and a couple of feet in front of them an employee whose job is to stand in front of the tellers to direct customers to a teller. (Really.) So, while I am racing back and forth (working for free, btw) the computer voice instructs me to scan, clear the belt and bag items, four full-time [paid] bank employees - who seem to have more time than they know what to do with - join the audience to watch my free show.
• BAGGING::: you've "finished and paid" but you still need to bag your items. Because customers behind you have already started scanning and sending their items through, some of their stuff bumps into yours that you haven’t bagged yet, causing you to rush and do things like throw cans of tuna on top of soft bread. (How I'd solve the problem: redesign the food belt with a steeper angle with the items going directly into bags. Don't allow scanner to work if someone is still bagging their order.)
• LEAVING::: having survived the parking, aisles and check out there is one task left, leaving. It's not as easy as it sounds; the exit is also the entrance; people are getting carts, putting away carts, going to the bank, using the DVD vending machine and, inevitably, you or another shopper encounter a former classmate you haven’t seen in years, or another parent with whom you must discuss a school event, etc. Once past these obstacles and through the exit door there is usually a table set up by the scouts, swim team, or charitable organization asking you for one more thing. In the parking lot, your little car has been surrounded by giant cars with darkened windows so you can’t see through or around them. You back out of your spot slowly and carefully but still narrowly miss someone walking to the store. (How I'd solve the problem: see “entering store” and designate an area for socializing/selling/fundraising away from traffic.)
• HOME::: When I returned home and unpacked my groceries from my last shopping trip I opened the bag of chicken wings (remember the chicken wings?) and I saw that there were not 4, as the contents stated, but only 3. Too tired to fuss about it, I bit into one, but what’s this?!!? Red at the bone! Not fully cooked! I spat it out and tried another, also red at the bone, the third and last one, red inside – same as the other two. At least there are croissants, I remembered. I took one out – it was as hard as a rock, so were the other three. I considered returning the rock hard croissants and undercooked chicken to the store for a happy refund but decided it would be too much work and I was too tired. Instead, I brought the chicken and croissants outside and threw them into the woods for the wildlife. (How I'd solve the problem: have employees check merchandise dates outside of their designated areas (e.g.: produce workers check bakery items, bakery workers check frozen food, etc.) I wish the store had a suggestion box - even a virtual one on its website - I'd like to tell them a thing or two.)