"You constantly have to keep looking at vibrancy, invigoration and newness," he said.
Citing [image-nocss] results of a consumer behavior study he helped conduct for Parsippany, N.J.-based Cadbury North America, he said retailers should use that approach toward emotional, physical and social consumer insight.
"I hear the term Bubba used a lot in the convenience store, and there is a big belief that Bubbas don't care about emotion, they don't care about design or experience; nothing could be further from the truth," he said.
Kelley said that while Bubba might have retailers believe that they just want to get in and out of c-stores, "there is a real danger asking consumers what they think." He said that c-stores are "chock full of emotion" for time-starved consumers. "One of our fears in life is not having control of something; a convenience store can flatter that customer."
Physical insights include realizing the simple consumer preference of moving forward, he said: "When I'm at convenience stores, it's very difficult to move. And if you solve the movement problem and make it easier to move, you can increase sales."
He said that while planners love the idea of straight shelves and hard turns, it can look like an obstacle course, with the potential to rip clothing on the corners. Retailers should also cut visual chaos, which can shut down the brain. "There's a point where too much product diminishes the capability for consumers to buy."
And providing "entertainment through merchandising" can help consumers who feel uncomfortable being in a group of strangers with nothing to do with their eyes, said Kelley.
For social meaning, retailers should look at the larger aspect. He talked about creating realms, similar to the island realm created by the Tommy Bahama stores or the industrial realm of Chipotle. "You want to reference a place that's in the collective conscious of society," he said.
Kelley added, "The conclusion I want you to really consider is that there's so much potential to make the convenience store much better than it is."
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