Slideshow with photographs of my visit to the U.S. (May 2011)

1. Emma 6/07/11 Photos: U.S. Retail Stores & Restaurants ULTA Sephora Panera Chipotle Lululemon Urban Outfitters Anthropologie

2. ULTA Newport Beach, CA Offers: Beauty products, salon, makeup, skincare, cosmetics, fragrances Main customer base: Women (young and middle-aged) who desire convenience, wide variety, and relatively good prices, middle- to upper-middle class Typical location: Outdoor shopping centers, suburbia

3. Located in an outdoor shopping center in a relatively affluent neighborhood near the beach ULTA Surrounded by small restaurants and a grocery store ULTA stores are typically located in these outdoor shopping areas; I’ve never seen one in an enclosed mall

4. Huge selection of products ULTA … and huge store (probably a little smaller than half of our office space)

5. One of the many makeup aisles ULTA Selection is comparable to Sephora’s but more varied in price range, offers both low- and high-end brands

6. Lots of different fragrances ULTA … most are relatively high-end (typically sold in department stores)

7. Fragrances, again ULTA The section extends through one entire wall of the store

8. Organized by brand and product type ULTA Selection is organized by brand and product type (i.e. cosmetics, skincare, fragrance) Offers a wide selection of low- and high-end brands

9. Relatively quiet and empty ULTA Not very crowded on a Tuesday late afternoon (around 6 PM) Spotted about 4-5 employees and about 3-4 customers besides myself No one asked me if I needed any assistance, nor did I see any workers helping the other customers

10. Sephora (competitor to ULTA) South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa, CA Offers: Beauty products, makeup, skincare, cosmetics, fragrances Main customer base: Women (mainly young adults, some middle-aged), middle- to upper-middle classes Typical location: Enclosed malls, downtown shopping centers

11. Offers a variety of higher-end brands Sephora Huge selection of higher-end makeup (including limited edition tokidoki and Hello Kitty products) Don’t expect to find great deals here; the main appeal of Sephora is the store’s “glamour” (many people call it a candy store for women)

12. Keeping things fun and personal with technology Sephora Computerized system offering a 30-second quiz to help customers choose “the perfect fragrance”

13. Beauty Studio with professionals on call to assist customers in makeup application and selection Sephora Beauty Studio with makeup artists to assist customers in selecting a skincare/makeup regimen by testing out different products. The stations are well-lit and the entire store feels very glamorous and exciting. Loud music blares on the speakers as customers shop.

14. Professionals seem to be very intentional with customers Sephora This in-store makeup artist assisted my friend for about 20-30 minutes in choosing a foundation, teaching her makeup techniques, and applying her makeup She also gave my friend some free makeup samples and, according to my friend, was very honest and “did not pressure her into buying anything” In the end, my friend was so pleased with the experience that she spent $135 on makeup products

15. Panera Bread Tustin, CA Casual dining: Order at the counter, get a number and a server will bring your food to you Cuisine: American (sandwiches, salad, soup) Main customer base: Young women (20’s-30’s), young families, usually middle- to upper-middle class Offers: Breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner, pastries (bagels, bread, cake, cookies), coffee/tea/other beverages Typical location: Outdoor shopping centers, suburbia

16. “ You Pick Two” meals Panera Choose two of the following: soup, salad, sandwich (all half portions) Extra charge (about $1.50) for “café signature” items All Panera menu items vary by location but the meal averages about $8.00 incl. tax

17. Typical meal Panera “ You Pick Two” ½ chicken panini (grilled sandwich) and Greek salad Comes with a side of french bread (white or wheat), apple, or bag of chips Ideal portion for a woman; but maybe not enough to completely fill an American male adult Common “date spot” for women

18. Study lounge environment Panera Tables, booths, and small couches for optimal studying, reading, and/or chatting Soft music plays in the background Almost as full capacity during lunch hour on a Saturday afternoon; mostly a young adult crowd (ages 20’s-30’s) and families with young children Free wifi offered at all locations, but typically closes early (around 9 PM)

19. You can do take-out, too Panera Panera also offers take-out for all their items, but it doesn’t seem like many people choose that option. It seems like people like to go to Panera for the atmosphere (i.e. to study, to chat with a friend, etc.) or when they are craving something on the lighter, “healthier” side (i.e. not hamburgers or pasta). They also offer unlimited refills on their coffees ($1.75 + tax); it seems like many people like to order to cup to drink while they study/read.

20. Chipotle Irvine Spectrum Center Irvine, CA Casual, “assembly line” fast food-style chain: Direct your order as employees assemble your meal for you according to your preferences, pay at the cashier Cuisine: Americanized Mexican fast food Main customer base: Generally younger crowd (i.e. students) Offers: Lunch and dinner (same menu all day), some alcohol Typical location: Outdoor shopping centers, college towns

21. Features a very simple menu and an assembly line-style service (can watch people make your order) Chipotle

22. All items are made to order; service is very quick and efficient and the overall atmosphere feels clean Chipotle

23. Very good business during prime time hours (lunch and dinner); otherwise fairly slow in the afternoons Chipotle This particular photo is a shot taken of a Chipotle located in a popular shopping center in Irvine, CA, on a weekday mid-afternoon, after lunch hours. There are many residential areas and businesses surrounding this shopping center. I ate here on a Wednesday at 12:30 P.M. and there were already about 20 people in line in front of me; many of them were employees and business people from nearby businesses. It was hard to find a spot to sit although many people do opt to get Chipotle to go. In this sense, Chipotle is very much a fast food restaurant, though many people I have spoken to prefer it over traditional fast food chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, or Taco Bell.

24. Lululemon Athletica inc. Irvine, CA Costa Mesa, CA Attire: Fitness-wear and accessories for men and women Specialty: Fashionable, functional, high-quality fitness-wear Target customer: Fitness lovers, middle, upper-middle and high classes Typical locations: Indoor and outdoor shopping centers in higher class neighborhoods

25. Costa Mesa location, inside high-end mall (South Coast Plaza) Lululemon

26. Costa Mesa location, inside high-end mall (South Coast Plaza) window display Lululemon Features women’s and men’s styles alike.

27. Attire organized by style, size and color Lululemon

28. Every store has a men’s section, which seems to have an overall smaller selection Lululemon I did not see any male shoppers at any of the three store locations I visited. It seems like most of their customers are still women.

29. On a national holiday (Memorial Day) afternoon, the store had about 4-5 shoppers and 3-4 employees Lululemon

30. Irvine location, inside a popular outdoor shopping center (Irvine Spectrum Center) Lululemon

31. Creative window display featuring mainly women’s attire and yoga mats, waterbottles, bags, and fitness/life/health-related mantras Lululemon

32. Store has a board featuring yoga and pilates classes for the month and an array of fitness-related accessories, including aluminum waterbottles and caps Lululemon

33. Store is divided into women’s and men’s sections and arranged according to style, color, and size Lululemon

34. Lots of women’s attire! Lululemon

35. This location was fairly quiet on a weekday afternoon as well, with about 3-4 shoppers and the same number of employees Lululemon However, the brand itself is very popular among upper-middle class women. On one occasion, my mom, a frequent gym-goer, accompanied me on my visit. She was very curious to look at the store because, according to her, “Every woman I see at the gym is wearing this brand!”

36. Urban Outfitters Irvine Spectrum Center Irvine, CA Selection: Casual and semi-formal attire for younger crowds, home furnishings Specialty: Fashionable, trendy, “hipster”/vintage-style clothing and accessories Target customer: Trendy dressers Typical locations: Indoor and outdoor shopping centers, downtown districts

37. Stores feature a creative, aesthetic window display Urban Outfitters The store hires designers to create and produce these displays and generate overall in-store atmosphere. Window displays are changed periodically.

38. Store exudes a casual, artistic, warehouse-like feel; indie-rock music plays in the background Urban Outfitters

39. Displays and mannequins change routinely to fit current trends Urban Outfitters

40. Displays and mannequins change routinely to fit current trends Urban Outfitters

41. Displays and mannequins change routinely to fit current trends Urban Outfitters

42. Anthropologie Irvine Spectrum Center Irvine, CA Selection: Contemporary attire for women, home furnishings Specialty: Fashionable, “classic” feminine pieces Target customer: Upper-middle to upper class women Typical locations: Indoor and outdoor shopping centers, downtown districts

43. In-store décor and displays changed periodically according to seasons and trends Anthropologie

44. Majority of the store dedicated solely to women’s clothing Anthropologie

45. Anthropologie also specializes in offering unique home goods from around the world Anthropologie