Why do some stores have entrance and exit doors?

[Jamie Buxton]

Home Depot and Lowes stores have entrance and exit doors. They try pretty hard to get customers to go in the entrance door and out the exit doors. However, other big stores don't. Department stores generally have mixed-use doors, and so do grocery stores. What's going on here?

[Ric Jones]

and another question to add to the equation, is why do all grocery stores have the main drag at front of store, causing traffic issues due to pedestrians trying to get in store, people trying to park, and why does every one have to race thru a parking lot. why not have a dozen or two rows of parking then a may drag.

[Adam Herman]

and another question to add to the equation, is why do all grocery stores have the main drag at front of store, causing traffic issues due to pedestrians trying to get in store, people trying to park, and why does every one have to race thru a parking lot. why not have a dozen or two rows of parking then a may drag.

so fire trucks can access the building.

[Tom M King]

Home Depot and Lowes stores have entrance and exit doors. They try pretty hard to get customers to go in the entrance door and out the exit doors. However, other big stores don't. Department stores generally have mixed-use doors, and so do grocery stores. What's going on here?

Department stores don't have people trying to get out with 12 and 16 foot long boards that they don't realize are 12 and 16 feet long, so no liability from such head knocking.

[Gary Ragatz]

One reason for designated entrance and exit doors is to improve traffic flow - one-way traffic results in fewer collisions and less congestion. Our local Target and Best Buy both have banks of designated entrance and exit doors, although they're located next to each other: exit, exit, exit, entrance, entrance, entrance. Not surprisingly, the check-out lanes are to the left, so shoppers leaving the store can exit without crossing paths with entering customers. A couple of local supermarkets do the same thing.

In addition to improving traffic flow, these layouts typically force/encourage shoppers to pass the cashiers on their way out, which I suspect helps reduce shoplifting.

[Jim Koepke]

Home Depot and Lowes stores have entrance and exit doors. They try pretty hard to get customers to go in the entrance door and out the exit doors. However, other big stores don't. Department stores generally have mixed-use doors, and so do grocery stores. What's going on here?


and another question to add to the equation, is why do all grocery stores have the main drag at front of store, causing traffic issues due to pedestrians trying to get in store, people trying to park, and why does every one have to race thru a parking lot. why not have a dozen or two rows of parking then a may drag.

If you go into the contractor's entrance at Home Depot or Lowes you will see it as both entrance and exit. The others are for controlling customer flow and such. Grocery stores have a different layout plan. The most sought after items that bring people to grocery stores are milk, toilet paper and pet food. These are usually the farthest away from the doors.

Some stores force shoppers down one aisle, usually crammed full of 'sale' items, before they can get to the main shopping floor. In one store in my area this aisle takes one as far away from the milk and other essentials as is possible.

"Why do all grocery stores have the main drag at the front?" In my case my wife isn't too good at walking. So she gets dropped off at the front door. If we took my truck to town my tendency is to park away from the crowd due to its size. Sometimes she also waits for me to pick her up after shopping. There are also transportation agencies who regularly drop of senior citizens and others for shopping.

jtk

[Kev Williams]

One reason that comes to my mind why common 'either use' doors are specifically marked:
Lawyers. The difference between 'the STORE should have put up signs' vs 'the CUSTOMER should have read the signs = who gets sued.

The only time I've ever noticed the 'door rules' enforced was during the height of the pandemic--

[Brian Elfert]

Two local Walmart stores require drivers to drive along the back side of the parking lot when you enter the lot instead of driving in front of the store. You can still drive in front of the store, but you have to drive down a row of parking to do so. It is much easier to walk into the store without dodging all the cars.

[Bill Dufour]

My home depots expect you to enter in the middle and go out the other end. pushing. a cart full of heavy stuff 300 feet in 100 degree weather with no shade. I ignore their signs and park near the exits and go in that way.
I only know of one store,Target in Hemet Ca, that has a parking lot designed for pedestrians. It has raised sidewalks so people know where to walk and they can not be run down.
Food for Less in Sun City,a retirement communtiy, has the electric scooter shopping carts at the back of the big store. We tried to get one to the front for my MIL they said she had to walk all the way back there, we could not drive it to her. She would have to drive it back to the back when done. No leaving it in the lot or at the front door. We went to another store that was smaller.
Bill D

[Jim Koepke]

Food for Less in Sun City,a retirement communtiy, has the electric scooter shopping carts at the back of the big store. We tried to get one to the front for my MIL they said she had to walk all the way back there, we could not drive it to her. She would have to drive it back to the back when done. No leaving it in the lot or at the front door.

It appears some manager has a hair stuck up some place where the sun don't shine.

Maybe a visit from The American Association of People with Disabilities > https://www.aapd.com/ < would help them adjust their attitude.

Many of the grocery stores here have well marked pedestrian crossings in front of the stores. Some actually have STOP signs for both directions of traffic.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

My guess is that they want the regular customers to go in the back way so that well dressed hired fake customers will attract toney high
rollers.

[Doug Garson]

My guess is that they want the regular customers to go in the back way so that well dressed hired fake customers will attract toney high
rollers.
We can always rely on you for the bsc response, more likely it's the same reason most big retailers do it. Security, having everyone exit thru the same door which requires you to go thru the checkout cuts down on theft.

[Brian Elfert]

My home depots expect you to enter in the middle and go out the other end. pushing. a cart full of heavy stuff 300 feet in 100 degree weather with no shade. I ignore their signs and park near the exits and go in that way.


I just park near the exit at one local Home Depot that has the exit a ways from the entrance. I would rather walk a little bit when I have no cart than when I have a cart full of stuff. Other Home Depots have the entrance and exit close together.

[Jim Becker]

HD's doors have the entry/exit designation respectively, but they have sensors that let folks go either direction. If I need the tools, paint or anything in the "center" of the store, I honestly go in through the exit doors which as self-checkout and plenty of space to walk through to go directly where I'm headed. I usually park at the exit end which makes getting my purchases to my vehicle faster and easier after checkout. Lowe's on the other hand, has their exit doors on-way without invoking a Harry Potter style spell. I don't shop at Lowes as much...it's more Professor Dr. SWMBO's preference. They also have so much merchandise actually "in" the parking lot that getting a good spot is harder, especially with Tar-Zhey immediately next door and sharing the parking lot for some level of overlap.

[Jim Koepke]

My parking strategy at Home Depot or Lowes depends on what is being purchased.

For the local Lowes there are trees for shade near the "contractor doors" so if lumber or anything at that end of the store is on the list that is where the truck is parked.

If the wife wants to look at garden stuff in the spring, park there.

If center store items are being purchased, then the truck gets parked somewhere convenient to the center exit.

Similar when shopping Home Depot but there really isn't much shade in their parking lot.

jtk

[George Yetka]

Home depot drags us past all the displays by making sure we have to walk past them. Grocery store does less of this but they put the milk and eggs at the farthest corner so you have to walk past everything anyway.

[Mel Fulks]

We can always rely on you for the bsc response, more likely it's the same reason most big retailers do it. Security, having everyone exit thru the same door which requires you to go thru the checkout cuts down on theft.

I got it! “ Best Sawmill Creek”. response.” But your guess about the doors was…wrong. Checked with the managers of 4 stores….
“4 stores and 7 hours ago”, it’s to save on heating and cooling.

[Lee DeRaud]

Home depot drags us past all the displays by making sure we have to walk past them. Grocery store does less of this but they put the milk and eggs at the farthest corner so you have to walk past everything anyway.
If I have two things to buy at Home Depot, I can pretty much assume they will be at opposite corners of the store...and it's the 2nd-largest HD in the country.

[Scott Clausen]

It used to be that a lot of thought went into placing items that people run in and out to get in the back of the store. The idea was to hope other items got your attention. I think this was abandoned as it didn't make much sense to have unpopular stuff in the prime people zones. As to the entry exit doors it is the same reason, traffic flow but they realize that contractors don't give a rats butt about seeing product so they give them a separate in and out door but anyone can use it.

[Kev Williams]

Saturday I got asked to pick up two things from a particular, and large, grocery store:
Cole Slaw from the deli, and vanilla ice cream...
Deli is on the south wall, ice cream freezers are on the north wall, as far from each other as possible...

[Doug Garson]

Saturday I got asked to pick up two things from a particular, and large, grocery store:
Cole Slaw from the deli, and vanilla ice cream...
Deli is on the south wall, ice cream freezers are on the north wall, as far from each other as possible...
Not surprising, don't know about you but I don't like coleslaw on my ice cream. :cool:

[Rollie Meyers]

Always enter the local HD through the checkout exit, entry is on other end of the building, the door sensor allows the door to open from either side unlike the Lowe's across the street

[Doug Garson]

Those of you complaining about HD or Lowes have obviously never been to an IKEA, they are the masters at traffic control. Last time I was there I met someone who had been there for a month and still couldn't find their way out but they had three carts full of stuff and were well fed (they followed their nose to the restaurant). :rolleyes:

[Lee DeRaud]

Those of you complaining about HD or Lowes have obviously never been to an IKEA, they are the masters at traffic control. Last time I was there I met someone who had been there for a month and still couldn't find their way out but they had three carts full of stuff and were well fed (they followed their nose to the restaurant). :rolleyes:
Yeah, after a dozen or so trips to mine when I was doing the kitchen, I now know all the (unmarked) shortcuts. :)

[Alex Zeller]

I assumed it was to help prevent theft. The entrance at Lowes or HD usually leads to the return desk. That makes it less likely someone would try to pick up a product and take it to the return desk for credit. While you can enter any door you would stand out walking out the entrance with new product in your hand. Since it really costs nothing it's a cheap way to help prevent theft.

[Brian Elfert]

I assumed it was to help prevent theft. The entrance at Lowes or HD usually leads to the return desk. That makes it less likely someone would try to pick up a product and take it to the return desk for credit. While you can enter any door you would stand out walking out the entrance with new product in your hand. Since it really costs nothing it's a cheap way to help prevent theft.

The local Lowes used to have a door directly from the entrance "lobby" to the returns department and no access from inside the store. They quit using it after a while and covered the glass with red vinyl. Does it really slow shoplifters by making them go outside the building and back in to return something? If I was a thief I would probably take my stolen merchandise to another Lowes store to return anyhow.

[Doug Garson]

The local Lowes used to have a door directly from the entrance "lobby" to the returns department and no access from inside the store. They quit using it after a while and covered the glass with red vinyl. Does it really slow shoplifters by making them go outside the building and back in to return something? If I was a thief I would probably take my stolen merchandise to another Lowes store to return anyhow.
Is the main problem shoplifters returning stolen items for refunds? Isn't some form of proof of purchase required to return something? It seems more likely things are stolen to be used or resold on Craigslist than returned to a store. A few years ago all the circular saw blades at my local Lowes were put behind the counter with only samples securely fastened to the display left out. I asked about it and a store clerk showed me a pile of security tags that had been removed and tossed under the shelves. He said it was mainly contractors who go thru a lot of blades who would remove the tags and walk out with the blades under their coats.

[Brian Elfert]

Is the main problem shoplifters returning stolen items for refunds? Isn't some form of proof of purchase required to return something? It seems more likely things are stolen to be used or resold on Craigslist than returned to a store. A few years ago all the circular saw blades at my local Lowes were put behind the counter with only samples securely fastened to the display left out. I asked about it and a store clerk showed me a pile of security tags that had been removed and tossed under the shelves. He said it was mainly contractors who go thru a lot of blades who would remove the tags and walk out with the blades under their coats.

I believe Lowes still allows returns for store credit with no receipt. Thieves will then sell the store credit. Home Depot started making store credits tied to the person making the return and required an ID to use them. More recently, the Home Depots near me stopped taking any returns without a receipt.

[Mel Fulks]

He said it was mainly contractors who go thru a lot of blades who would remove the tags and walk out with the blades under their coats.

The blades might end up with contractors , but they probably get abducted by “thrifty amateur medicine-men”.