Winkelmodellen

Winkelmodellen is a concept used in retail economics and marketing to classify and analyze the configurations of retail formats. The term describes standard models of how stores are organized in terms of product assortment, pricing, service level, and store environment, and how these align with consumer needs and market conditions. While the phrase is Dutch, the idea applies broadly to discussions of retail formats and strategy.

Dimensions commonly used to define winkelmodellen include store format (such as supermarket, discount, convenience, department store, specialty shop, and online), price positioning (low, mid, high), service level (self-service to full-service), size and location (urban versus suburban, proximity to customers), assortment breadth and depth, and channel integration (multichannel or omnichannel). Retailers may combine these elements into distinct models like discount hypermarkets, midsize supermarkets, convenience stores, specialty shops, department stores, and online-only or hybrid formats.

Applications of winkelmodellen include planning store networks, selecting formats for new markets, and guiding renovations or concept changes. Researchers use the framework to study consumer choice, price sensitivity, shopping trip patterns, and the effects of format changes on sales and loyalty. Common methodologies involve discrete choice modeling, conjoint analysis, sales forecasting, and analysis of point-of-sale and footfall data.

Limitations include the risk of oversimplification, regional differences in consumer behavior, rapid evolution due to e-commerce, and challenges in measuring cross-channel effects. Despite these caveats, winkelmodellen provide a useful framework for comparing retail strategies, benchmarking performance, and informing strategic decisions.

See also retail formats, store layout, multi-channel retailing.