Supermarket vs Hypermarket
Between supermarket and hypermarket, a number of differences can be observed in terms of the size, the appearance, the service each offer, etc. Before discussing these differences, let us take a trip down the memory lane. How did your parents make a purchase of grocery items when you were a kid? Probably, they gave the shop owner a list of the items they needed and waited till the shop owner packed all the items taken out and weighed and packed. It was a boring experience for you as a kid, wasn’t it? Even your parents did not have much of a choice when it came to choosing and comparing products, leave alone getting to know about schemes on some of the brands. But, the scenario changed with the arrival of first the supermarkets, and then the hypermarkets. Both supermarkets, as well as the hypermarkets, have turned shopping from drudgery and a boring experience into something that is pleasurable and relaxing. However, there are some differences between a supermarket and a hypermarket that most people are not aware of. This article is meant to highlight the features of supermarket and hypermarket and thereby, elucidate the differences between both.
What is a Supermarket?
Supermarket is a large store that lets you wander and choose the products for yourself. It was supermarket that was coined to give consumers a feeling of shopping in a big space and being able to fulfill all their requirements. There were products, which were hard to find in a market, in a supermarket such as fish, vegetables, or flowers. But, supermarket provided all this and much more under a single roof which led to rapid development of supermarkets in all parts of the world. During festive seasons, these supermarkets get decorated and even introduce games and such to make the shopping experience more interesting.
What is a Hypermarket?
A hypermarket was a later invention and the intent behind coining this word was to give a feeling of a store even bigger than a supermaket. It was in 1931 that the word hypermarket was first coined to refer to a gigantic retail facility that was earlier called as departmental store or a super store. Fred Myer chain in US was labeled as hypermarket, but the word was later reserved for all such retail stores that combined the features of super market and departmental stores. Before the term hypermarket became popular, most of the gigantic retail facilities where customers could move around, choosing from a wide range of products and keeping them in a trolley that they hauled around and later got the products billed at a counter were referred to as supermarkets. Hyper markets usually have everything of daily use (including groceries) and even electronics, toys, and furniture to let customers fulfill all their requirements under one roof.
Today, hypermarkets are so common that they can be seen in all parts of the world in both urban as well as rural areas. There are hypermarkets that are so large that one not only just shop around for all household items but can even find restaurants, magazines stands, internet cafes, and even beauty parlors under the same hypermarket roof. However, you should understand that hypermarket is not a term generally used in America. Also, the concept of hypermarket was not successful in Australia.
What is the difference between Supermarket and Hypermarket?
• Size:
• A supermarket is a large store.
• A hyper market is bigger in size than a supermarket.
• Number and Variety of Goods:
• Supermarket has a number of FMCG goods in different varieties.
• Hypermarket stores larger number of FMCG products than a supermarket.
• Appearance:
• A supermarket has a warm pleasant look that attracts customers.
• A hyper market looks more like a warehouse than a store.
• Service:
• Supermarket provides more warm services and has a personal touch.
• The personal touch and warm service of a supermarket is absent in a hypermarket.
• Prices:
• Supermarket prices are sometimes higher than a normal store price.
• Prices at a hypermarket are cheaper than at the supermarket.
• Frills:
• Supermarket has tons of frills to attract customers to make them spend their money.
• Hypermarket has fewer frills than a supermarket as the main motive is more savings for customers.
• Décor:
• The décor of a supermarket is more attractive than a hypermarket.
• Hypermarket will always look more like a warehouse.
• Festive Seasons:
• There is more excitement around festivals in supermarkets as they have decorations and introduce games and such.
• There is not much excitement especially in festive seasons in a hypermarket.
• Countries:
• Supermarkets can be seen in many countries of the world such as US, Australia, France, India, etc.
• Hypermarkets are also seen in most countries such as New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, UK, etc.
So the basic difference between a super market and a hyper market pertains to their size and a hypermarket is certainly larger in space than a supermarket. Among other differences, higher variety of products and more sections can be enumerated.
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