This document summarizes observations from visits to various stores including Walmart, Wells Fargo, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Safeway, and Arrowhead Mall. Key details noted include the environment, personnel, products, and typical customers at each location. The concluding section reflects on how each store has its own unique atmosphere and marketing approach to attract different customer demographics. Overall trends are identified, such as the relationship between store type and typical employee age ranges, but also recognition that each location has its own distinguishing characteristics.
2. WALMART
Environment: Walmart is blue / yellow colors with concrete floors and a giant
ceiling. This makes you feel as if you are in a giant warehouse that has all of your
needs. It is a very crowded store with security at both entrances, the registers are in
the middle of the store. Kids / chatter are causing majority of noise
Personnel: I do not feel as if this store has workers that approach you to ask if
you need help, it is more so they have so many workers all over you can find
someone to ask. The age of the employees varies greatly, there are some teenagers
working while some elders are as well. Everyone has either a blue Walmart shirt or
vest to let them stand out to customers.
Product: When you first walk in they always have their seasonal products, along
with TV’s on display. The items for sale are marked with large white letters showing
the price. Different sections have different products to catch the eye. No free
samples unfortunately
Customers: The type of customers you find here can vary because of the vast
supply of inventory they carry. You will see families or just individuals needing to grab
a few things. I do feel as if people spend a lot of time here as you can find yourself
purchasing things you did not know you needed. Customers touch a large portion of
the items they purchase, although I don’t know if it is welcomed by employees.
3. WELLS FARGO
Environment: Wells Fargo has a very quiet environment to it. You are
welcomed in by big gold WELLS FARGO letters, and a tile floor. There is soft,
calming music playing and things are rather quiet. Around the branch are
different marketing posters to show off the latest product they are trying to sell.
Coffee and water is left out for guests
Personnel: Immediately when you walk in you are approached by someone
to greet you. The employees make sure you are helped in a prompt manner.
Everyone is dressed casual with the men wearing shirts and ties, it is a very
professional looking workplace. The average age of employees would range
from 20-40, with the older team being more on the banking side
Product: The products they offer (credit cards/loans/etc) are all displayed
around the branch accompanied by brochures to further explain
Customers: The type of customer that comes in can vary in age depending
on what type of transaction they are doing. A lot of elders will come in about
investment and retirement accounts, while younger people will be coming in
about opening accounts. Money is something that effects us all so the age
group is extremely vast
4. HOME DEPOT
Environment: Home Depot has a warehouse type feel. With big giant signs to
designates the aisles, to the concrete floor, it has you feeling like you can
purchase anything you need for your home in this store. The orange that is
reflected throughout the store is what lets you know you are in The Home Depot.
Personnel: The employees all walk around with orange aprons to let you know
who is working. There is a vast majority of workers constantly circulating the
store to allow for prompt service on any question you might have. The typical
employees seems to be older, however I have seen younger crowds working
there too. They are all very helpful and knowledgeable about home workings
Product: Big giant signs are spread out all over the store, with pictures
demonstrating happy families using products they purchased at Home Depot.
Marketing seems to be a big part in the way they sell their products, and they
make it known when they are pushing a new product
Customers: The customers here seem to range in age, with a large portion
being older individuals who are home owners. Recurring customers will know
where most products are, however newcomers often times enter the store
looking rather confused. Depending on what type of product they are buying
customers can spend a few minutes here or a large chunk of time
5. TJ MAXX
Environment: It is a very relaxed environment, the store is spread out with white
painting on the walls and signs to designate the different departments. Music is often
times playing quietly in the background to enlighten the shopping experience. They
have clothes scattered all over with some home decor items towards the back, and
little accessories for sale at the register to catch your eye right before you leave.
White and Red is reflected throughout the store
Personnel: There are employees that walk around the store to re-fold clothes and
make sure the store looks neat. I did not notice too many going out of their way to
make customer interactions, or try to help with the search for clothes. A larger
portion of the employees were standing up at the register just waiting for customers,
it seems as if it is an older demographic of workers with a large portion being women.
Product: All over the store you will see pictures of smiling people wearing the
clothes they bought from here. From shirts, to pants, to shoes, to accessories there
are marketing signs all over to steer you into the right direction. Big red clearance
signs provide a safe haven for those sale shoppers
Customers: The types of customers range from very young to very old. TJ Maxx
offers a variety of clothes options that can tailor to different age groups. Depending
on what type of shopper you are people can be quick, or can spend time trying to find
the perfect outfit
6. SAFEWAY
Environment: Safeway provides your typical grocery store feel. The décor of
the store makes you feel as if you are shopping in your neighborhood market.
Music is playing in the background and you have a large number of sections you
can make your way through from pharmacy, to bakery. It is a rather crowded store
and if you are going to the same one over and over, you will start to see familiar
faces. Goldish/Brownish signs are scattered all over the store to label the products
Personnel: There are all types of employees that work here, the ones who work
in the back stocking products are typically your younger crowd. With cashiers being
people who are elder, and a variety of men/women make up the employees. They
have plenty of employees always walking around to provide assistance, and some
even have buttons you can press to call someone to a specific aisle
Product: Safeway sells a wide range of products all that are marketed with their
own posters in their designated sections. From frozen foods, to cereal, alcohol,
flowers, or whatever it may be Safeway has it. Often times they will have their own
brand of products for sale, at a cheaper price
Customers: The type of customers here range because everyone needs
groceries to survive. Depending if you are getting one specific item or stocking up
for the whole week someone can spend a lot of time here. You see a lot of mothers
who are doing grocery shopping for the family here
7. ARROWHEAD
Environment: This is a very loud, crowded place. You have a wide range of
people here, with kids and teenagers making up a large part of the noise that
goes around. There are tons of different stores here that cater to a different
type of customer. There are more upscale stores for the fancy shopper, while
there are toy stores for kids. The mall is a totally different feel than grocery
store
Personnel: With the mall offering many different types of stores the types of
workers fluctuates depending on the store in discussion. Sports stores will have
a younger, more athletic employee base. While something like a candle store
would have an older, more sophisticated workforce. It truly depends on the
store you are in
Product: From new shoes, to perfume, to clothing, to bath essentials, the list
goes on and on. There are countless of different types of products offered, all
that have their own form of attracting to customers. Hollister has the cool,
California look to attract the younger crowd. While Macy’s has a more eloquent
type feel to it
Customer: Depending on what type of shopper you are will determine how
long someone can stay here. Some might be in and out, while say teenagers use
the mall as a place to hangout. Ypu will find a large range in customer age at the
mall, probably being able to find one that fits every type of category
8. WHAT HAVE I LEARNED???
This observation lab has taught me a lot about paying attention to detail when out
at different businesses. These stores all have their own environment/feel to them.
A Walmart can be somewhere you go to get everyday things, the mall somewhere
when you need new clothes for a date.
Each of these businesses have unique ways to market to their consumers to make
them keep coming back
The type of interaction you will have depends on the store which you are going
too, you can predict the types of employees you will find based off the products
they are selling.
While all of these stores have some similarities, they also all have a lot of
differences.