Embodied Shopping
Designing physical grocery stores that go beyond transactions to build connections.
Redesigning the in-store grocery experience by leveraging research-driven insights to connect shoppers with local products through a QR-based spotlight system.
Role
UX Researcher
Team
Jun Hyok Lim
Tools
Figma, Miro
Date
March 2024
Problem
Understanding the needs of contemporary grocery shoppers and designing an in-store experience that is meaningful and enjoyable.
Investigate in-store grocery experiences and design an intervention that enhances shopper satisfaction and store visits, while considering the trade-offs for retailers.
Goal:
Encourage repeat visits with engaging, budget‑friendly experiences.
Provide clear convenience: wayfinding, quick info, and checkout support.
Enable community interaction (reviews, voting) that respects moderation limits and guidelines.
Increase awareness and accessibility of local businesses inside grocery stores.
Research
Uncovering why shoppers choose online vs in-store shopping
Reviewed articles on pandemic impacts, store strategies, shopper stressors, and consumer behavior. This helped us frame our understanding of how external factors and personal preferences shape grocery shopping today.
Key Insights
Price Sensitivity
Shoppers switch brands and stock up when items are on sale.
Stores Stressors
Crowding, long lines, and time pressure make in-store shopping stressful.
Pandemic Influence
The pandemic pushed many people toward online shopping, and some habits remain.
Trade-Offs
Online shopping is faster and easier, while in-store shopping offers personal selection.
Food Waste
Online grocery shopping often leads to more food waste.
Consumer Differ
Different shopper types exist. Some prefer convenience online, others value local in-person shopping.
Contextual Inquiries
College students' grocery shopping is shaped by budget, health goals, planning styles, and time efficiency.
To better understand in-person grocery shopping, we observed and interviewed college students who shop on a limited budget while aiming for healthier diets. Our goal was to learn what influences their decisions, what challenges they face, and what makes the experience either enjoyable or frustrating.
Key Insights
Value & Savings
Students actively look for deals, compare prices, and use coupons to stretch their budgets.
Health-Conscious Choices
Many prioritize protein, fresh produce, and low-calorie items while avoiding snacks and sugary drinks.
Shopping Styles
Some are deliberate and organized with lists, while others make spontaneous or reward-driven purchases.
Efficiency & Checkout
Self-checkout is preferred for speed and reduced interaction.
Initial Interview
Students prefer in-person grocery shopping for control and discovery, but want improvements in convenience, store layout, and technology
To explore grocery shopping behaviors, our team conducted interviews with three participants using a set of 17 structured questions. We analyzed responses through affinity diagramming in Miro, organizing insights into categories such as shopping approach, in-person vs online preferences, store experiences, and future improvements.
Key Insights
“I like shopping in person so I can pick out the freshest produce myself.”
“Self-checkout makes the trip faster. I wish there were more kiosks.”
“A mobile app to help me navigate the store would make things so much easier.”
5 E's Framework
What makes grocery shopping frustrating, whether in-store or online?
Using the 5 E's framework (Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, Extend), we mapped both in-person and online grocery shopping journeys to identify user motivations and frustrations.
In-person pain points: Shoppers struggled with items being hard to find or too spread out, crowded aisles, inefficient layouts, unapproachable employees, and issues with heavy items or self-checkout breakdowns.
Online paint points: Users faced long loading times, an inability to check product freshness, and added delivery costs.
In-person Journey Map
OnlineJourney Map
Ideation & Sketching
Reimagining the Grocery Shopping Experience
After uncovering shoppers' needs and pain points, our team brainstormed ways to enhance the in-store grocery experiences. At this point, the team leaned towards focusing on the local product idea since it had the most impactful way of enticing shoppers to return.
User Group
Users Who Value Convenience, Savings, and Local Impact
After researching grocery strategies and customer willingness to pay more for local impacts, we defined a broad target audience for our concept.
Who: Young to middle-aged adults interested in supporting local producers but unsure how
Where: Large chain grocery stores, starting with healthier-focused stores like Whole Foods.
Why: Convenience, cost efficiency, and the desire to give back to their community by supporting local businesses.
Secondary Research
Shoppers Value Fresh, Local, and In-Store Experiences
To validate and strengthen our concept, we conducted a literature review using Google Scholar. Our research focused on the strategies grocery stores use to attract in-person shoppers, shopper attitudes toward products, and whether similar concepts had been previously tested.
Attracting Shoppers
Stores use discounts, events, and smart product placement.
Local Products matter
57% of Americans will pay more for fresher, local goods.
Supply Agreements
Grocers secure products through minimum purchase contracts.
Comparable Example
Kroger built an online farmers market, while our idea brings local goods in-store.
Secondary Interview
Shoppers Value Fresh, Local, and In-Store Experiences
Conducted a second round of interviews with our user groups. We focused on whether they would use the proposed service, what aspects they valued, and what improvements they wanted to see.
“I want to feel like I have an impact or say in the community.”
“Supporting local businesses is very important to me.”
“QR codes should be more visible, like posters or signs.”
Task Flow Diagram
Mapping the shopper Journey with local product discovery
Mapped the user journey from entering the grocery store to post-purchase engagement.
Key Touchpoints
Scanning the QR codes and exploring the mobile sites.
Navigating product locations with maps and markers.
Discounts applied at checkout
Post-Purchase engagement: reviews, voting, and account creation.
Potential pain points
Unclear purpose of QR codes.
Website navigation or loading issues.
Difficulty locating products.
Lack of motivation for reviews/voting
Opportunities
Clarify QR code products.
Simplify and streamline the website.
Utilize clear in-store signage to facilitate product discovery.
Incentivize account creation and voting through discounts.
Final Design
Signup flow with reminder toggles and discount incentive
Clean filter tabs and product grid with proper navigation
Only shows purchased products with interactive star ratings
Community voting for next week's categories
Reflection
Creativity & Practicality
Learned to balance creativity and practicality by narrowing broad ideas into focused solutions.
Human Connection
Saw how small design choices (like trivia or rewards) can spark meaningful human connections.
Collaboration
Improved team collaboration and communication while synthesizing research insights.
Actionable Design
Gained experience in turning user feedback into actionable design decisions.