Whole Sale Markets (Implicit time, Implicit Space)

The customers don’t go to stores such as Target and Wal-Mart to buy time or space. However, we are aware that these stores put in great effort to manage the time that the customer spends in the store (since it is likely to increase purchases) and maximize the available space in the store without providing a crowded environment.
Target uses lively music to make the customers stay longer. All stores manage the isles so that the customer passes through things for impulse buys before reaching the necessities.

1. Costco
Costco is known as the store from where you make volume purchases. Costco operates differently than other stores. They require membership before you come to the store since this increases the likelihood of customers buying products. It also offers a pharmacy, photo services, as well as travel desks at some stores to make customers stay longer and spend more. They also send the members a Costco magazine so that the customers know about the products before coming to the store.
http://www.costco.com/


2. Target
Target uses elements such as bright colors in the store and music to make the guests feel good and hence encourage them to shop. Like most stores, they lease out the most visible space for customers to big companies who can pay more for it. For example, if you go to a target store, the Tide detergent might be the first detergent that you see, since P&G paid target to locate it there. Therefore, they earn revenue for the space. Also, target sells items at different price points for price sensitive and less-sensitive customers. Target also discounts certain items on different days to sell them faster and make that space free for better selling items.http://www.target.com/



3. Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart tries to use the maximum space possible. They lease out the space to suppliers, and also let the suppliers come and manage that space. They have found this to be an efficient system where they simply contact the supplier through an automated system whenever the inventory is low. Wal-Mart is known as the everyday low price store and offers low prices to encourage volume purchases.
http://www.walmart.com/



4. Wegmans
Wegmans has achieved a very effective model of managing its space, time, and price. With the perishable food that they sell, they also have mini-restaurants or cafeterias where they can use the perishable products. This prevents them from having inventory that rots or goes to waste.

Wegmans also adapts each store to the choice of the local customers so that the customers feel special and buy more. Wegmans has soothing colors in the stores, and offers exclusive items that we might not get anywhere; therefore the customer pays more for the product. Wegmans also does isle management where customers need to go through other isles before reaching the necessities, and places more expensive items at the eye-level of customers.
On its website, Wegmans offers recipes that can be made with ingredients available at Wegmans. This encourages customers to buy at Wegmans.
http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1