Assignment 2 for Tina Seelig's class on Creativity.

1. Are You Paying Attention?
Assignment 2
My computer just crashed, and I have thus lost the 19 images that I uploaded this
afternoon. Please try to imagine what I am describing.
Taco Bell
Walking into Taco Bell, you immediately face a bright display board and 2 employees at
the cash registers. What struck me most after careful observation was the height of the
message “Never Leave Thirsty” displayed on the soda machine at eye-level. Taco Bell
makes much of it’s revenue from drink sales, which necessitate little employee effort
(giving customer an empty cup). The most expensive items are displayed on the menu
directly in front of the customer, whereas the value menu is far to the left, with many
items lacking images. The ambience could use some work. With the (authentically un-
Mexican) obnoxious elevator music, I didn’t want to spend more than 15 minutes inside
the restaurant. The constant beeping from the kitchen doesn’t help! I feel this is a good
effect in getting customers to move in and out quickly. Taco Bell visits are mechanized
processes. Walk in door, order food quickly (she asked me 4 steps after entering), give
money, sit and quickly eat, leave.
Sports Authority
This store is good at making you want things you didn’t know you wanted. After
entering through the automatic sliding doors, there was Giants and Warriors
merchandise covering 180 degrees of my vision. Movie-theatre style rope partitions
guided me into the store as I immediately found myself looking at a sign at eye-level
informing me of the huge discount on socks! Had I not bought twenty pairs of socks in
September, I would have been all over that deal.
The hardest items to access were the niche fishing tools. Organized by sport/activity,
the easiest items to accessin Sports Authority are workout shirts and athletic shoes.
Why? Because everyone needs them. As these probably earn them the most money,
why not stick the fishing gear bought once per month in the back corner? Knowing your
customer is vital in designing your store.
Sports Authority does a great job of facilitating physical customer interaction with its
products. While moving through the snowboarding section and into the camping gear, I
found myself standing at a bright red Coleman grill. As I touched the knobs, I could feel
myself firing up a grill on a Sunday with friends, and in that moment I really wanted to
put it in my trunk.
Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom rack does not feel like Nordstrom...it just feels cheap. Unlike Nordstrom, a
Nordstrom Rack does not have the overwhelming smell of hip new perfume. In the

2. watch section, the expensive pieces were enclosed in glass cases, which forced 3
customers I saw to interact with a sales associate. I stood in the unenclosed watch
section just 3 feet away, where not one associate said a word to me. No big ticket item?
No sales associate needed. Just marvel at the discounts all around you. After all, sales
are displayed at eye level.
Walgreens
Walgreens is well-designed for cycling customers in and out for basic needs. A typical
trip lasts no longer than 5 minutes, hastened by the blinding fluorescent lights overhead
and outdated easy-listening tunes. A paradox of choice arrives when picking out basic
necessities, as dozens of similar items are stacked 6 feet high on shelves. The choice
of displaying sale candy just right of the cash register is a good touch from Walgreens’ .
This is an opportunity Walgreens capitalizes on to make last minute additions to
purchases once the customer has already lined up.
Starbucks
Everyone has been in a Starbucks. The thick smell of coffee beans upon entering gets
you ready to drop some coin on some java. While ordering, at eye-level stands the
pastry dish, displayed elegantly in bright lighting. The markup on these (often-stale)
items must be near 1000%, so it is understood why they’re placed so prominently. Get
rid of them quickly...they are expendable.
Starbucks maintains its class by not displaying prices on its merchandise. The
organically branded items make the customers think they’re buying a classy product.
The coffee press on display was in a nice brown box, but I’m sure it was machine-made
for chump-change. The warm temperature in Starbucks made me get down and stay a
while. Was this with the hope that by staying, I would want to buy more items? I
believe it’s an effort to secure repeat business through positive experiences. My visits
to Starbucks are predictable, and I like it that way. Fast service, a nice atmosphere, and
just enough noise to help me concentrate on reading, but not feel like I’m in a library.
7-11
Like Starbucks, everyone has been in a 7-11, but who has closely observed it? The first
thing I noticed was the Big Gulp machine straight ahead of me, illuminated in red. Like
Taco Bell, drink sales are quick revenue and with low costs of bulk soda, it is a quick
buck for the company. I found a healthy-eating section this time oddly enough, which
was quite a surprise. Prices were not displayed though, similarly to how Starbucks
does not label prices on items to maintain brand integrity.
In the energy/protein bar cases, upward-facing prices were only visible for customers
over 5 feet tall. Candy however, had prices displayed horizontally, visible to the
smallest second grader, or even the tallest baby. I believe this is done deliberately due
to the difference in customer demographics.

3. Conclusions
Paying attention makes the little things fascinating. From going to these chain stores, I
understand how they have achieved such great success. By directing customer traffic
to the money-making items and knowing how customers interact with the displays,
these stores capitalize on easy sales. There is much to be learned about marketing
from visiting successful chains. As I look to open my own business in the future, I will
certainly think like a customer in the layouts of my website, store or anything the
customer may interact with.