Among many pundits of late, the view has been aired that, as a format, the UK hypermarket’s best days may be behind it, with the general mantra seemingly being that smaller is more beautiful.

To an extent, Tesco has set about disproving this with its Watford showpiece, but travel to crisis-hit Spain and it is apparent that the hypermarket is alive and kicking.

French hypermarket operator Auchan has an outpost in Barcelona’s Diagonal Mar shopping centre, trading under the name Alcampo, presumably to make it more attractive and easier to pronounce than its Gallic sister stores. And what is apparent from the moment you enter the lower level of this two-floor store is that a high premium has been placed on both zoning and in-store theatre.

Whether it’s the cheese department, the cured meat aisle or the red meat section, it is obvious that a very clear shop-in-shop strategy has been followed.

In large measure this has been effected by lighting, specifically by the deployment of multiple pendant lights that are colour coded according to the department.

There are, of course, the usual stunning displays of fresh fish that British retailers still seem unable to match. And there are also areas such as the wine department, which has been festooned with grape vines in order to remind shoppers about product provenance. Worth noting too is the substantial self-serve back-to-basics discount offer in the middle of the store.

In terms of stimulating the urge to purchase, it is the visual merchandising that is the major player in this branch and, even on a scale as generous as a hypermarket, it shows that it is still possible to create something that has great appeal.

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