The grocery store I shop from the most just had a corporate redesign on the layout to make it open like that, and it's super annoying because I have to wander around more to get stuff. I figured it had something to do with putting increased sales over usability.

The last place I used to shop did something similar, swapping all of their shelves out for shorter ones to try and make it feel more open. They went bankrupt and liquidated a a few years later. The other store I mentioned is closing locations, so maybe it's one of those grasping-at-straws things that corporate does trying to find last-minute ways to make the numbers better before they have to cease operations.

The first time I entered a Lidl (in Germany) more than 20 years ago they had wide aisles and a very clear structure. Aldi was the opposite, a little bit shabby and chaotic.

Today I'm more and more annoyed by Lidl: a messy obstructive placement of product islands and displays everywhere while Aldi is a role model of order and structure.

I guess the reason why I don't switch supermarkets is simply habit.

...And no retailer is going to pay attention to this study. Every store I go into seems to make a fetish out of cramming more merch on the end caps, next to the checkout, etc. In fact some stores clearly make it a point to make shoppers wander slowly in circles. And of course thoses sweet sweet deals with distributors for shelf space.