File for Venture Lab Second Assigment

1. Are you paying attention?

2. The Home Depot
• Store sells home improvement material, plants, etc. Store name in large orange font
• Doors are closed, but open automatically
• High ceilings, floor is bare concrete
• Loud music- usually local FM station
• Interior is usually cold- customers want to get what you are looking for and leave
• Cash registers at 3 locations- self service, contractors area and plant center
• Sales people – you have to search for assistance, sometimes they don’t know the answer
• Employees ages range from 20s to senior citizens and equally split between both genders
• Plenty of impulse items near the cash register
• I like the lumber area and the plants section.
• Products are organized well, but store is huge, so you have to sometimes search for a long
time for what you are looking for. Expensive items (appliances) are in rear of store

3. Recreational
Equipment Inc. (REI)
• Store sells outdoor gear. The exterior has name in large font- both the acronym and full name
• Doors are closed and need to be opened manually, but that goes with outdoors theme
(pickaxe door handles)
• Floor is concrete and stairs are made of wood
• High ceiling and a lot of natural light coming into the store. Well lit after dark
• Store is well stocked- gear and equipment is downstairs and, clothes/shoes upstairs
• Most of the customers come to browse in the store and primarily buy clothes and shoes
• Sales people are in uniform (green vest), are very fit and don’t initiate contact
• I think if you are new to the store, some of the salespersons treat you differently
• First product you see is kids bikes and camping tent display
• The sale items are in most remote section of store
• Its not easy to find the price on some of the items

4. Target
• Name is in large red font, doors are closed, but open automatically
• Color scheme is red and khaki. Sales persons are in those colors too,
but clothes can differ a bit
• High ceilings, store is brightly lit and there is music, but not loud
• Store is warm and well stocked. Products are well organized and clearly price tagged
• Store security is very visible at the entrance/exits and there is video monitoring in the store
• Sales people sometimes initiate contact. Rest of the time customers have to find them
• Ratio of sales persons to customers is 1:10 and most of them are young
• First products at the store entrance are the lowest priced sale items and women’s clothes
• Kids toys, sports equipment and plants are in the least accessible location of store
• Plenty of impulse items near cash registers. Several cash registers at entrance/exit

5. Cost Plus
World Market
• Name is in red color and two fonts- World Market in large font and Cost Plus in small font
• Doors are usually open and invite passers by to walk in and browse
• High roof and plain concrete floor
• Products are packed in the store and they range from food products to furniture, most
of them imported from outside the US
• Store has good distinctive smell of spices, coir fiber and wood
• Salesperson makes contact fairly quickly. Not many sales people- ratio is 1:10, but you
need them more often because its difficult to find products
• Most of the employees are young and in uniform
• Food products are at the back of the store. Most customers buy them, so have to walk
through the length of store to reach the food section
• Impulse items near the cash registers. Few registers close to the exit

6. Bed Bath &
Beyond
• Store sells home products- kitchenware, bed linen, etc. Store name is in bold white letters
• Main doors are closed- automatic
• High roof, floor is made of concrete
• Brightly lit store (too bright) with narrow aisles and music plays- not loud
• Store is a bit cold
• Crowded with merchandise- sometimes difficult to push carts through crowded aisles
• Cash registers at the exit. Separate registers for returns
• Customers stay in store just long enough to see and select products and buy them
• Employees are usually female, don’t initiate contact and don’t wear a uniform
• Wall next to the entrance is stocked with shelves of featured new products
• Least accessible items are bed linen, curtains etc.

7. AT&T
• Main door is open and there is at least one salesperson inside the entrance to greet you
and record your name and purpose of visit to store, and add to you to the customer queue
• Store name is in big white letters above the entrance
• Floor is carpeted and there is a couch for 3-4 people to sit while they are waiting for their turn
• Store is brightly lit and there is plenty of natural light too
• Cash registers are located along a wall perpendicular to the entrance
• Salespersons are in AT&T uniform, young, friendly and evenly split between both genders
• They are using the store products- phones, tablets, etc.
• Items for sale or the lowest priced phones are located furthest from the entrance and
expensive items next to the entrance