Outcome after the Outcome

The outcome in grocery shopping is to get groceries desired as conveniently as possible, but that’s not the final memory the customer has of the experience. Ever gotten home and discovered two eggs were cracked? Or have a bloody cut of meat soil the birthday card you bought for Aunt Molly? Too often the grocery store is in the mix of negative thoughts associated with the “outcome after the outcome.”

Nordstrom is famous for pursuing the “outcome after the outcome” effect. “We try to guess what...