Observation lab for TEM

1. Tempe
Marketplace
Observations

2. Barnes&Noble
01
Forever 21
02
H&M
03
Rolling Rack
04
Creations
06
Journey's
05

3. The customer is immediately welcomed into the
store by the sight of colorful book assortments.
The lighting is subtle, allowing the customers to
believe they are in a sort of home library.
Soft Lighting
Barnes&Noble
Soft lighting, cozy atmosphere, and coffee
Barnes and Noble strategically creates book
sections by genre. For the fiction section, they
create a box with the book shelves in order to
allow the reader to literally be surrounded bu the
fantasty story they may open while browsing.
Cozy Atmosphere

4. Barnes and Noble has a partnership with
Starbucks so that there is a coffee shop in every
store. This allows customers to create a "home" in
Barnes and Noble and look forward to going there.
They can buy a coffee and read a book, creating a
peaceful moment in their day.
Coffee
I also observed that Barnes and Noble made
strategic merchandising displays in corresponding
sections. For example, a customer might decide to
buy a new cookbook, and then are able to buy
proper supplies.
Cookbooks and Supplies

5. Right when I walked in to Forever 21, I was
immediately greeted with an advertisement for
cardholders. Right away, customers are aware that
there is some enticing "club" to be a part of
Setting the tone
Forever 21
Trendy, Bright, Energy
All of the clothes displays were mapped out in the
store. Trends were clustered and outfits were
made by displaying matching clothes near each
other. I noticed they were advertising "moments"
and "seasons" rather than just clothes.
Bright Colors and Patterns

6. The Forever21 journey concluded at the register
with small accessories like jewelry and socks. I
could tell that the customer would approach this
section with a "I might as well pick up this too..."
mindset.
The Journey Continues
Throughout all of the displays, Forever21
communicates their trendy and bright brand voice
with display cases like these.
Patterns and Brand Voice

7. Like Forever21, H&M seems to map out the
customer experience. You are greeted with the
seasonal trends that sit right next to the classy
business ware. I believe this is how H&M attempts
to differentiate themselves
Developing Brand Voice
H&M
Trendy yet classy
Also like Forever21, H&M puts their Accessories b
the checkout lane. This validated my theory that
retailers terget customers with convenience items
on their way out. Admittedly, I bought a new
phone case because I had been "meaning to get
one" If I'd had to carry the case while walking
through the store, I probably won't have bought it
Accessories and Checkout

8. It's a bit hard to see in these photos, but I noticed
that the lighting in the men's sections was a bit
darker than in the women's section. I thought it
might have been a coincidence, but after some
more research, I think it could be intentional.
Brighter lighting is used to highlight certain
products, especially those with brighter coloring,
in order to make a product seem "exciting".
I think this was done because the men's section
hosts one of the store's high traffic entrances. The
lighting is most likely meant to show/remind their
target market (mainly women) that they are in the
right place, just the wrong section.
The Magic of Lighting

9. Immediately, Rolling Rack is eye catching with the
abundance of pink. We are greeted by a very loud
and unique pink dress. Just to the right, there is a
display of sarcastic t-shirts, cementing the brand
voice.
The customer is immediately meant to remember
this store as "different than other retailers.
Setting the tone
Rolling Rack
Pink, Pink, and Pink!

10. Despite the eccentric decoration and store
ambience, the items being sold inside were very
similar to those I had seen in H&M and Forever21.
Most likely, Rolling Rack was looking to draw
customers in with the unique decorations and
vibes, but then convert traffic to sales with familiar
and generally appealing styles.
Capitalizing on the trends

11. Though it is my least photographed stop,
Journey's was one of my favorites to observe.
The small, rectangular store features nothing more
than shoe racks and benches for trying on shoes.
It's clear that the customer is meant to feel
surrounded and in-awe of the variety and wide
selection, when in reality, most of the shoes are
housed in a backroom. This allows Journey's to
invest heavily in the small but saturated customer
experience in the showroom.
Keeping the Core Value Proposition
Journey's
Shoes and nothing else!

12. Like Rolling Rack, Creations Boutique also makes a
distinct effort to differentiate itself from other
retailers. The lighting is soft and the colors are
arranged in a purposeful and elegant mix. Every
piece in the store seems to be hand selected,
despite obviously being mass produced.
Symmetric yet Flavorful
Creations
Peaceful, Wistful and Glamorous

13. From the rugs on the ground to the potted plants,
Creations Boutique uses subtle clues to tell the
customer that there is something "different" and
"special" about this store, or rather, boutique.
Most of the clothes have a distinct Boho-chic
style to accompany the general ambience of the
store itself. I also noticed that some of the other
pieces were similar to other stores, but set at
higher price points.
It appears that Creations believes customers will
pay for a perceived luxury or uniqueness.
It's all in the details

14. This observation lab showed me that stores will go to great lengths to
make the customer feel a certain way before they actually buy
merchandise. Whether they feel comfortable and intelligent (Barnes
and Noble), or unique and trendy (Rolling Rack), the environment of in
which the sale happens will most certainly have an effect on the
profitability of a brand.
Experience is King
Brinlee Kidd | bgkidd@asu.edu