Paying attention assignment # II

1. Observation Lab
Assignment ll
Kim Beamon-Morton
"To Get Lost is to Learn the Way"
Swahili Proverb

2. Before I Entered the Store:
. I visited four stores, in what I would call a Mid-scale mall
. Three clothing stores (Black & White, H&M, & Hollister, and
the AT&T cellular phone store
. I can't say that any of the stores really drew me in, none had
doors attached to the space
. Most sign lettering was bold, or in italics
The clothing stores tended to be trendy, catering to
people in their 20's

3. Environment
. One surprise was that most retail interior spaces are black
and white
. The floors are tiled, wood laminate, or carpeted
. Most stores are brightly lit, with the exception of Hollister,
which was quite dark
. The store Black & White was the easiest clothing store to
move around in, the others (H&M, Hollister) were crowded
by clothing rounds, making it hard to shop, thus not wanting
to spend a lot of time in those stores
. Most ceilings are 12 ft. tall
. Hollister played really loud music (which was distracting) and
their signature scents could be smelled throughout the space

4. Environment, cont.
. H&M's cash register, was center floor a few feet from the
entrance
. Black & White & Hollister's cash register were in the
back/center of the store

5. Insights/Opportunities
. Only Black & White greeted me as I entered the space
. No one in Hollister interacted with me, even as I stood at a
clothing display filling out the observation lab questionnaire
. Most of the stores were void of customers, this was probably
due to the fact that hurricane Sandy was approaching and
people were grocery shopping
. H&M employes ethnically diverse males & female, females
on the sales floor, & the caucasian male at the cash register,
hummm???
. Black & White's staff was all female and ethnically diverse,
with the caucasian woman as store manager, hummm???
. AT&T was male dominate, yet ethnically diverse (one female)
who was at break when I was in the store

6. Insights/Opportunities
. In the AT&T store, when sales staff were not interacting with
customers, they stood around, clustered together, engaged
with their devices (smartphones/tablets)
. Customer service, for the most part, is a lost art. If I'm going
to spend my money, it's nice to have sales people greet me
and ask if I need help with anything. This happens in more
high end stores (Nordstrom's, Bloomingdales), I think it
should be par for the course in retail. I notice that sales
persons "point" you in the direction of your buying interest,
rather than walk you to that section of the store
. If customers feel cared for/important, they are more likely to
spend money, and return to that establishment for future
purchases

7. Insights/Opportunities
. Most retail spaces are crowded with clothing rounders,
making it difficult to move around the store. Personally, this
makes me feel overwhelmed, cutting my shopping
experience short
. The quality of the material used to make clothes, has
declined over the years. This is probably due to clothe being
manufactured overseas

8. The Boyz of AT&T