The document provides an observation assignment for a creativity course. It instructs students to observe a large shopping complex in Madrid, Spain on a Saturday to gain inspiration. According to the observations, once a favorite family pastime, austerity has led many Madrilenians to avoid shopping malls, which are now mostly empty. Certain store entrances were more inviting than others. Shops with lower ceilings like IKEA and Decathlon felt cozier and were busier, while stores with higher ceilings were emptier. IKEA was noted to use product layouts to create an immersive shopping experience for customers.

1. Venture Lab
Crash Course in Creativity
Assignment Week 2
ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?

2. What? Observation at .
for inspiration and insight

3. When and where?
Saturday, October 27
11am – 4pm
Alcorcon Shopping Complex
Madrid, Spain

4. Observations
Large-scale shopping malls are
mostly empty

5. Observations
Once a favourite family
weekend pastime,
austerity-hit Madrilenians
avoid shopping

6. Before you enter the store
Some shop entrances generate
interest in the street inviting
people to enter and become
customers

7. Before you enter the store

8. Before you enter the store
Bargain
tent

9. Before you enter the store
Some front entrances
are boring and uninviting

10. Environment
Lower ceiling shops like
IKEA and Decathlon felt cosier and were
busier

11. Environment
while the others had
higher ceilings, were colder
and mostly empty

12. Personnel
 A single sales person initiated
contact in a shop where the ratio
of salespeople to customers was
close to 1:1
 In the busier establishments the
ratio was more like 1:100

13. Products
All but one of the stores
missed the opportunity to use
product layout to excite
staff and customers

14. Products
IKEA’s
strategy
aims
to
induce
buyers
to
feel
part
of
a
process
called
experien'al
shopping,
through
hundreds
of
inspira;onal
displays
of
product
combina;ons
and
interior
design
sugges;ons,
which
customers
can
touch,
test
and
sample.
In
this
way
IKEA
creates
a
strong
emo;onal
experience
for
its
customers.
(Source:
“Apple,
IKEA
and
their
Integrated
Architecture”
by
D.
Potente
and
E.
Salvini)

15. Customers
Mostly families on a mission – stayed, on average,
in the store for 45 mins (except IKEA where they
stayed longer) – and made small purchases

16. Thank You
For Your ATTENTION