> I don't know how much stock I would put in the idea of the "Ikea" method for Costco as they have returns, membership, pharmacy, eye glasses, and the food court all relatively towards the front which are areas that people come to Costco frequently for. If it was the "Ikea method" they would all be in the back of the store.
Do people really go to those parts of the store often? The fridges with fresh food, rotisserie chicken, and items like laundry soap and toilet paper are all the way at the back, which typically are the bulk of my cart. The stuff that's close to the door is typically TVs, vitamins, and toothpaste.
I'm sure there are a few different store layout concepts over time. However you don't need a membership at Costco to eat at the food court or use the pharmacy, purchase alcohol in some states so if we applied the "Ikea" model those would be in the back to have someone "see" all the things they are missing by not being a member. For the paper towels, toilet paper, drinks they are probably regularly stocked items which if you were unloading tucks full of them you wouldn't want to be moving huge quantities all the way to the front of the store. Lastly, i'm sure its also a combination of flow control. Get everyone to the back of the store then filter toward the front building some buffers in line queue volume and getting bunched up in one single area. If you walk in the door and thats where the paper towels, toilet paper, milk, etc is then just getting in the store would be a problem.
All speculation of course, but to me the "Ikea" model didn't seem to fit.
Do people really go to those parts of the store often? The fridges with fresh food, rotisserie chicken, and items like laundry soap and toilet paper are all the way at the back, which typically are the bulk of my cart. The stuff that's close to the door is typically TVs, vitamins, and toothpaste.