Grocery stores and supermarkets use several behavioural tricks on the consumers, so they spend more time there and buy more stuff.
E.g., the essentials such as milk are always kept in the back of the store, so we pass several other items on our way to the milk section.
Tiles on the floor is another trick—when we push our carts on the tile floor, they make a lot of noise, forcing us to slow down (and have a long look at items on the shelves).
The retailers may not get the same effect with a smoother or a carpeted floor.
Similarly, with fewer windows, the grocery stores try to create a sense of suspended time.
This means that without the windows, the shoppers can’t notice any unpleasant weather conditions developing outside that may push them to hurry up.
Nor can they notice that it is getting dark—another factor that may interrupt their “smooth” shopping experience.
Also, more windows or large windows mean more sunlight—this can fade the packaging and make the temperature regulation a challenge.
The retail environment is all about space and its optimum utilisation—revenue per square foot is a crucial metric.
So, the grocery stores wouldn’t want to swap valuable wall space with windows as that would reduce the number of displays the store could afford.
