I.G.A. MERCHANDISING SEMINAR

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30378, 29 February 1964, Page 18

I.G.A. MERCHANDISING SEMINAR

Grocers from all parts of the South Island who have gathered together in Christchurch this week-end for I.GA.’s Third Merchandising Seminar will see and hear about the remarkable growth of self-service stores and will be given a picture of their likely store of the future—a self-service shop with many special features that can be predicted from present world-wide trends. This Self-Service Merchandising Forum incorporated in the programme is the result of many years of investigation and analysis carried out throughout the world by The Coca-Cola Export Corporation. It will be given to the seminar in a four-hour presentation of films, slides and talks covering seven basic subjects.

The history, of self-service stores and supermarkets and a statistical analysis of overseas trends, translated into current and future trends in this country, form the basis of the forum, which will be given by the New Zealand manager for The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Mr H. W. Chapman, and the Wellington manager of Dormer-Beck Advertising, Ltd., Mr Stuart M. Boyle.

Background to the change to self-service stores and supermarkets in most Western countries will be given, and the trend will be illustrated by such figures as those for the United States, which show a decrease in the number of stores from 560,000 in 1939 to 335,000 in 1958—a period in which the population increased from 130,000,000 to 177,000,000. The obvious resulting intensifying of competition, and measures progressive retailers will probably be taking to meet it, will be considered by the seminar. A clear indication of. the store of tomorrow will be given. That this will probably be a self-service store set in a traffic-free shopping centre served by specially designated parking areas is already evident by trends in New Zealand today. But the forum will go much deeper into the details of trends for tomorrow.

For instance, information will be given on what colour-schemes will be used —based on what the investigation has shown to be the most successful in a wide number of supermarkets examined in various coun-

tries. How the stores will be illuminated will also be considered—again based on what widespread examination has shown to be most successful.

A subject of considerable importance to be dealt with on the results of overseas experience is the gradual move from old retailing districts to the new shopping centres, in places where today sheep may be grazing. And of equal importance to both grocers and consumers will be the consideration of the strong pointers to changes in the traditional categories of retailing, such as food shops stocking more non-food items and vice versa.. A section of the forum entitled “Secrets af SelfService” will give many results of investigations into various aspects of organising a successful self-service store. The design and layout of the shelves and display counters in the stores is a major subject to be dealt with, but even such often ignored items as the use of scents—such as actually roasting coffee or cooking food, will be included.