Store Observations

Assignment 2

Observations

Cash register was located at the back of the store in a craftsperson store close to their work areas vs sales area

Craftsperson store = milliner, beading store, knitting store

Observations

Greet me and leave me and I’ll stay.

Acknowledging customers with a quick hello but leaving them on their own to browse for 5 minutes then asking if they wanted assistance received more favorable responses for assistance that those where store personnel asked for assistance within the first minute.

ObservationsCustomers must be magpies.• The first items at eye level entering the store

were extremely colourful and had texture and they were not expensive items.

Observations

I need space.

Stores with high ceilings and multiple levels – people stayed longer and explored more.

Insights•If it smells like home/good - I’m in.

My nose leds the way: roasted chicken and baked goods were located in heat lamped stands near the cash entranceway to two large stores welcoming you into the store as if coming home to a well cooked dinner, and yet the bakery department and the prepared foods sections were significantly further into the store.

InsightsPied Piper is in town!The music is playing and customer waiting in line at cash register stayed longer than if no music playing.

Insights

Let there be light! • Bright lights = I can see what’s there and this makes me feel more

comfortable, so we will stay in the store longer vs dimmed lighting store with merchandise (e.g. who or what’s hiding behind the next corner that might surprise me).

Insights

An open door is an invitation: And the wider the door/entranceway – the greater invitation.

The traffic flow was greater going into those stores that presented no barrier to entering/open door than those stores that had either closed doors or closed doors with an advertising sandwich board outside promoting the products inside the store.

Insights

There is a breadcrumb trail created in some store layouts that take you past some merchandise and leads you directly to the cash register.

SurprisesI was surprised at the multitude of senses that the store engaged the customer. It was a subtle orchestration to draw me in and keep me soothed and comfortable and engaged.

Opportunities

In the small crafts persons store – having a stylish coat hook in a “safe” area away from the door would enable people to engage more with the merchandise in the cold weather – as it was hard to do carrying the bulk of hats, gloves and coat.

Opportunities

Creating an open work table for customers to “play” with raw materials with the craftsperson might create more relationships between the customer and the store owner and more opportunities to explore options and thus potential to increase sales.

Opportunities

Edit.

More is less.

Too much merchandise and you are unable to focus.

Editing in displaying products is important.

Opportunities

Change store colours to go with the season and our seasonal needs, comforts.