How Is a Casino Like a Supermarket?

Knowing how to best lay out any casino product is vital to a casino’s success. There will always be a rival operator willing to mop up customers who are left underwhelmed by an average presentation.

In order to perfect the ways in which their gaming facilities operate and keep customers coming back, casino managers are always on the lookout for inspiration and ideas that can help them get the most out of the resources they have at their disposal. This inspiration can sometimes come from unusual places. Places like supermarkets.

Everything from the way these shops are lit, right through to how they smell, is being borrowed and expanded upon by casino operations across the globe. Here we explore exactly how supermarkets have influenced casino layouts.

Nothing is Left to Chance

The first thing that casinos have learnt from supermarkets is that every single aspect of their layout must be thought through and exist for a distinct reason. In supermarkets the essential items that everyone always needs (like bread, milk, and eggs) are always set well apart so that people must explore the supermarket to find them – and therefore be more likely to purchase more items on the way. The same can be said of casinos, who will often ensure that their cashier desks are far away from the exit, so that players are given opportunities to jump right back into a game of roulette, blackjack or slots.

Another layout technique that supermarkets employ is to encourage people to shop from right to left; with more expensive items being positioned on a shopper’s right-hand side because they will be more likely to have their eye drawn to them. The same is true in casinos both online and offline. Online casinos will often incorporate their most popular slots on their home page so they are the first thing gamers see, whereas land-based casinos will try to have their customers rotate clockwise around the casino floor with banks of slots on their right-hand side.

Supermarket and casino managers are always on the lookout for ways to improve customer experience

Sound and Smell are Key

They may not realise it, but as soon as a customer sets foot in a supermarket all their senses are subconsciously being aroused by systems designed to have them load up their trolley. If a supermarket is packed on a Saturday morning, then fast paced music will be pumped through the store’s loudspeakers to encourage people to hurry along. Scents are also tightly controlled, with the store’s bakery always being placed right by the entrance so that the smell of fresh bread makes people feel hungry and more likely to stock up on extra food.

In casinos, special scents are pumped round their rooms and halls to promote a sense of luxury and decadence, so that players stick around a little longer rather than braving the average smells of the street or a hotel room. Music is kept to a minimum so that players can hear the clinking of coins (even though most slots do not accept coins these days) and chips across the casino floor.

In online casinos, a slightly different approach is taken as slot games feature high tempo music and sound effects so that reels are kept spinning. Who knows, it might not be long until online casinos also find a way to emit desirable smells as well!

Casino Loyalty Programmes

Customer retention is one of the biggest aims of supermarkets with it being five times cheaper to retain a customer than secure a new or lost one.

One of the most successful ways of achieving this is via rewards/loyalty programmes, as this allows a consistent dialogue with the customers, keeps the brand in the mind of the customer and encourages additional purchases.

Casinos have gone down a similar route, with the gamification of points unlocking certain perks such as hotel stays, meals and even access to exclusive events.

The above helps build a sense of community, too; you are part of something and that’s why you are getting this secret offer or special deal.

Cross-selling and Upselling

If you have ever managed to checkout via your online supermarket of choice in less than twenty clicks, then, sorry to call you it, but you are a liar.

You are happy with your basket and then the games begin:

• Did you forget anything?
• Similar customers also bought these. Do you need them, too?
• Before you go, have you seen our special on this item that ends soon?
• You usually buy this, do you need it this time?
• Did you forget anything?

The list goes on and on before you eventually reach the final checkout option. And even when you do, before the delivery cut-off, you will receive multiple emails and/or app notifications reminding you there’s still time to make amends.

But the reason they do it is because it is a successful way of generating additional sales.

Casinos do something similar by promoting higher, minimum-stake games to those on the lower-end tables with special promotions – encouraging them along the gaming food chain.

Loss Leaders

The most famous loss-leading activation from supermarkets used to be the cafe’s breakfast, where you’d be able to get a fairly decent full English breakfast for a couple of quid.

Although they’d be losing money once all cafe overheads were taken into account, no one really just goes to the supermarket for breakfast. May as well get a few bits whilst you are there, right?! £100+ food shop later is where they make back the cost of the breakfast and plenty more!

Casinos adopt this loss-leading premise via giving away free credits for the games or complimentary food and drink.

Sure, now and then the player may simply take the free food, eat it and leave or the player may only use their free credits, and even win with them, but they are significantly outnumbered by those that don’t.

Many are flattered by the offer, they like the VIP feeling, and stay for longer or some have the logic of: ‘I would’ve spent £20 on that food and drink, so may as well bet it now instead, as I didn’t expect to have that money.’

Personalised Casino Marketing

As humans evolve, so do their purchasing habits, and the 21st century consumer is geared more than ever before to want to purchase from a local business, a ‘face’, as they want to fill that authenticity.

Now, this is something global supermarket and casino brands cannot do. However, they do what they can to humanise themselves to the player and understand what makes each player/customer tick.

From very simple things such as using your name in their marketing graphic or sending you a discount code or free gambling chips on your birthday, it helps make the customer/player feel ‘seen’.