Observation Lab

Jennifer Stuart

For: October 31st, 2012

Store ObservationsInitial Notes

This assignment was carried out in Fukuoka, Japan; a country that leads the way in high standards of retail. (Please refer to any back issue of the Monocle magazine, which briefs on global affairs, business, culture and design.)

Time limitations meant that only four stores could be observed with the attention to detail requested in the assignment question sheet.

Store ObservationsThe 4 Stores (Selected from those I like to visit )

Smith; Delfonics Design(Parco, Fukuoka)

AT THE ENTRANCE:

There is no entrance, the shop opens straight onto the main pathway through the shopping center. The lighting comes from LED spots, the walls are dark, mossy green, the light colored wooden floor and the soft music , make the store warm and inviting, in spite of the lack of enclosure. I didn’t actually know the name of the shop until I checked for this assignment. It is in a plain font and is very easily overlooked.

IMPRESSIONS:

The dark shades framing the bright rainbow of colors, gives an impression of excellent design and creativity. There’s a strong urge to get inside and rummage for inspiration.

PRODUCTS:

The products appear in a vibrant barrage of color, the first I notice are on the central display table; the mid-price stationery.

Products are displayed by function and color, arranged with demonstrations for use displayed alongside each item.

Each is clearly labeled, there are rarely sales products and more expensive items are displayed in well-lit glass cases.

Large products such as bags, are kept higher up and are a little difficult to access without help.

Smith; Delfonics Design(Parco, Fukuoka)

PERSONNEL:

As usual in Japan, there is someone ready to greet you as soon as you walk in the shop. There are usually around three or four staff (despite the small size of the shop), female and in their mid-twenties, dressed in creative and colorful clothes that reflect their surroundings. They wear the small items of jewelry included in the stores selection. despite the small size. There is no script to follow, and they are very helpful. A little stand-offish though. All customers are treated in the same way; you want help? Ask for it. Although security cameras are not obvious, you can feel a little watched as you move around the shop and that can make me move on more quickly than I might like.

CUSTOMERS:Mirroring staff, they tend to be females in their mid twenties, about 2:1 compared to men. They usually browse alone and follow the above path through the store. Most people browse for about five minutes and can touch the products freely. Maybe 20% of customers will buy something during their visit. The cash register is located on one side of the store and is a little difficult to reach when the shop is busy. There is not a lot of room to manoeuvre around the store when its busy.

Smith; Delfonics Design(Parco, Fukuoka)

COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS:

Smith Delfonics Design is a very inviting store, the bright colors are extremely attractive and the product layout is tempting and informative.

Personnel could be a little more approachable and less watchful.

Greater floor space would allow easy movement through the store, rather than frustrating pile-ups around the many display units.

The addition of one wall at the front might help encourage customers to stay a little longer and walk past potential purchases again. At the moment, it is far too easy to just glide through the shop, treating it as a pleasant, well-designed gallery.

Perhaps, most importantly, a larger and better placed shop sign would help the stores identity. While the current sign is stylish, it is a bit too understated and muted.

HokuHoku Rice Shop(Jonan-ku, Fukuoka) BEFORE ENTERING: The plate glass front shows

the clean interior and a large, wooden sign hangs above the closed door. The door also encourages a sense of cleanliness and order.

ENVIRONMENT: The walls are whitewashed, the ceiling is high and the floor is cedar planks. It smells like wood and rice inside and it really puts forward the clean and natural organic feeling of the shop and its products. The lighting is bright, the shop is warm and there is no music. Any sound comes from the staff working and chatting. It feels like a family business and I can browse for ages. There is no visible security.

PERSONNEL: They seem to be family members, greeting everyone who enters quickly and working until it looks like someone needs assistance. They wear clean, white aprons. There are about three workers; one older lady and a man and a lady in their late twenties. They are very welcoming and chat with all the customers. It doesn’t feel at all scripted.

HokuHoku Rice Shop(Jonan-ku, Fukuoka)

CUSTOMERS: Come in all ages, usually as couples or with young families. About 90% will make a purchase and will stay for about 15 minutes, browsing and chatting with the workers. While you can’t really touch the rice, the other products can be picked up and inspected. The store layout encourages browsing as well.

PRODUCTS: The first product to be noticed is the rice; arranged in beautiful cedar boxes, arranged in line, each with a map, information about the farmers, a taste guide, recipe recommendations and price per weight clearly displayed above. There is a table and shelves full of other organic food products on the left, but the star of the show is the rice. There are attractive little snacks and key chains at the register, in the far corner of the shop. If you request polished rice, the staff take your rice and polish it in the machines at the far-right of the shop.

The picture below shows the layout and typical path

through the store for most customers.

This photo shows a similar machine, I forgot my camera when I visited for the assignment!

HokuHoku Rice Shop(Jonan-ku, Fukuoka)

OBSERVATION & INSIGHTS:

I love this store. The layout, the staff, the feel of the place. The merchandise is excellent and well-priced. A wealth of info is supplied and there’s a new newsletter each month. The only issue I could spot is the location… Jonan-ku is difficult to get to and the store is not on the most attractive road.

I also love that they have a huge box of nuka (Rice bran) at the front door that you can help yourself to for free. They even supply little plastic bags. The nuka is great for making Japanese pickles.

Honey CoffeeKiyokawa, Fukuoka

PERSONNEL: The personnel wear white shirts, black trousers and black aprons and are all well-groomed and pleasant. You are welcomed immediately and offered a free cappuccino or iced coffee while you browse. They are well-informed and many speak excellent English. They are all clearly passionate about their work and are in their mid-twenties. There are usually two behind the counter at any time.

BEFORE ENTERING: The coffee store looks stylish, in a well-designed building with a cute brown sign and logo (which is repeated on all its products and info). It smells DIVINE all the time, because the roaster is on site. The door is closed but made of glass, so it looks cosy and inviting.

ENVIRONMENT: The walls are cream and the floor is honey coloured wood. The lighting has an orange tint and the room is warm and deliciously coffee-scented. It feels like your grandmothers living room and only needs an open fire to ensure I actually never leave. There is gentle, quiet music playing, its very soothing. Products are lined behind the counter, although they grind your beans for you on site if you request it. The counter is lined with about fifteen coffee pots to sample. Each is given a description of flavor and location and a rating out of ten.

Honey CoffeeKiyokawa, Fukuoka

PRODUCTS:

Coffee in foil bags lines the first wall you see, those and the coffee samples. Nearer the register are more expensive items such as coffee makers, grinders, presses and travel mugs. There are some high quality snacks and you can buy a coffee to take away. Prices are a little complicated and the varieties of coffee can be hard to identify on the shelf. No sale items are apparent.

CUSTOMERS:

Tend to come in pairs or alone, on a mission but happy to be tempted to browse and try new things. I’d say people walk out with a product about 80% of the time. People browse the simple layout in a circle before hitting the cash register by the door. Customers stay for about fifteen or twenty minutes, usually talking about coffee or chatting with the friendly staff.

OBSERVATIONS & INSIGHTS:

I think the shop design and staff mirror the high quality products they retail. There is a real passion for detail and quality in every aspect of the shop. I would say that they could provide more comfortable seating to encourage further lingering among customers and perhaps classes on coffee art or the best use of the French press and so on; they could really foster love of coffee in others and expand their client base.

Once A MonthParco, Fukuoka

BEFORE ENTERING:

This a shop made of glass, save one section of

wall. The sign is stencilled on the glass in a modern

font and it looks like a stylish shop. There are no

doors, and it does look a little cold and clinical.

ENVIRONMENT:

It is quite a cold shop, lit with white LEDs. The floor is wooden and the walls

are white, there is exposed metal work

and the music is loud and trendy. There are little security camera signs everywhere. With the lack of doors, it feels a bit like a clinical shopping tunnel, as parts are very narrow.

Once A MonthParco, Fukuoka

PERSONNEL: Stylishly dressed girls in their early twenties. Not the most approachable staff, unless you’re looking at the most expensive items, then they will approach. You are welcomed on entering the store, sometimes. There are about five staff at any given time and they will shadow you to rearrange displays if you touch or move anything, which is not welcoming.

PRODUCTS: The first products to be seen are the clothing, usually very well arranged by color. Prices are difficult to locate and some of the shoes and bags are put up high out of reach. There are many display tables and shelves with cute little gifts and toys and jewelry. Free samples and demonstrations, as well as sales items are thin on the ground.

CUSTOMERS: Customers tend to be single females or pairs of friends, coming to browse. Purchases occur maybe 50% of the time. People enter one entrance and then filter through. It can be very difficult to get around the shop, as walkways between display tables, clothes racks or shelves and the walls are very narrow and block up quickly.

Once A MonthParco, Fukuoka

OBSERVATIONS & COMMENTS: While this shop has beautiful, kooky, fun products, the atmosphere is unfriendly and unwelcoming. Staff are extremely stylish, but not approachable or encouraging. It feels as if the shop space is too limited, and instead of tailoring the items, or creatively placing them around the store, they are jumbled on shelves and tables that block the free movement of customers.

Store ObservationsClosing Notes Its not a habit of mine to observe stores in such detail as I have for this assignment. It

has been fascinating to take the time and see what makes a shop attractive or unattractive to me. These are only my opinions, but it seems that others agree with me, that a welcoming staff and atmosphere make for successful shops. Those without seem to have significantly lower sales per customer visits.

I know now, that I like to see a passion for products, whether its for coffee, clothes or stationery. If the shop and staff are geared towards showcasing, explaining and presenting the highest quality products to customers, it tends to be a shop I want to visit more.

I like to be educated about the products I buy, I like to receive advice and newsletters. It makes buying a new brand a little more exciting and interesting.

I also find it interesting, that while an open, wall free or door free shop sounds like a good concept, I find them to easy to rush through. I don’t feel as if I have stepped into a real shop with time to consider the range of items. Instead, I can feel like rushing through and get frustrated with other shoppers if the layout doesn’t allow me to move freely around the displays.