Creativity class assignment to look at various aspects of stores.

2. GRAND RABBIT TOY STORE & PIER 1 IMPORTS
Grand Rabbit Toy Store:
• Nothing about the story pulls you in except for
the term “Toy Store”
• Interior affect wants to engage kids in
playing…number of toys overwhelming, but
more appealing than big box stores.
• Colors and ambience helped calm customers.
Pier 1:
• Smelled like festivities were afoot when
entering.
• Party environment throughout store – enticing
customers with ideas for decorating.
• Mostly women customers, with women
clerks…similar interests and sharing personal
family stories.

3. TARGET & HOBBY LOBBY
Target:
• Nothing specific draws you in, but people
who come in for a particular item become
browsers.
• Feeling of they have something for every
need.
• Family oriented.
Hobby Lobby:
• Building seems irrelevant to the
merchandise…keeps focused on what’s for
sale.
• Hobby enthusiasts enter and may browse,
but most seem to be on a mission.
• Most people that enter do purchase
something.

4. SAFEWAY & KOHL’S
Safeway:
• The only store visited that had the door open to invite people in.
• Recently renovated to appear more upscale and inviting.
• Changed color scheme from dreary neutral colors, to upgraded grays and
improved floor quality in certain areas.
• Focused lighting to target items or environment.
Kohl’s:
• Ceilings between 12-14’ to keep focus on clothes, not building.
• Quiet, somber feeling.
• Pricing strategy different in that every item has a price tag, but is also on
“sale” at a reduced rate that needs to be looked up on a sign…promotes the
feeling that you’re getting a good deal.

5. FINAL OBSERVATIONS
• The most fun store to visit was Pier 1…you felt like celebrating through the
creative way the products were demonstrated, the spicy smells, and the holiday
theme.
• The process of looking for the product price at Kohl’s created a sense of getting a
good deal, whereas the other stores had certain items for sale.
• The stores that were more family oriented (Target, Safeway, Kohl’s) were set up to
be more mission oriented, with hopes to get browsing, whereas the other stores
facilitated browsing immediately.
• The employees at the browsing stores (Toy Store, Pier 1) were very instrumental to
sales performance. The Pier 1 employees were very engaging and everyone
made purchases. The toy store had disengaged employees and were
considerably older than the customers with much fewer sales.