Observation Lab, Gristedes, D'Agastino, Starbucks, Banana Republic, Whole Foods, Uniqlo

1. Note: My thoughts are typed up
as I visited most of the stores
during or right after Hurricane
Sandy – no pictures unfortunately

2. STORE 1: D’AGASTINO
• Door closed without welcoming entrance
• More staff people on the floor than at the register
• Multiple items missing and several items mislabeled (i.e. price tag on
the item does not match the tag below)
• In the mornings, the inventory is delivered and lays scattered in front of
the store – makes it feel very disorganized
• Store is brightly lit, which is useful for grocery shopping
• Store is warm, though in summers it is extremely cold
• Focus on processed, not fresh foods – produce section takes up much
less space than the frozen section
• Rewards program does not really provide any benefits or loyalty

3. STORE 2: GRISTEDES
• Depressing store with grey and blue color scheme
• Even saw a misspelled sign!
• Closed door without clarity as to which door is the entrance vs exit –
often saw people stand in front of a door and then move to the other
one when it didn’t open as expected
• First product I notice are the chips – another grocery store with a focus
on processed, not fresh foods
• Store personnel never offered to help – mostly young, disinterested
employees that were engaged in their own conversation

4. STORE 3: WHOLE FOODS
• Produce is the first thing that consumers notice in the store
• Store is organized in a path that one must go through to get to the cash
register as opposed to only isles in other grocery stores
• Produce (fruits & vegetables)
• Meat
• Pasta
• Bread & Cheese
• Packaged, frozen and refrigerated goods are at the back of the store
• Unique font – would characterize as “friendly” and “recognizable”
• Great salespeople – helpful and smiling
• Significant difference from other New York-based grocery stores

5. STORE 4: STARBUCKS
• Strong branding and welcoming entrance
• Clearly labeled menu and products placed strategically
• Distinct music playing and comfortable temperature
• Personnel at Starbucks are much less friendly now than in the past –
atmosphere in New York is much less inviting than San Francisco or
other cities, as people are more focused on efficiency and speed
• Increasing focus on adjacent products and less on the coffee / drinks.
Food, merchandise and coffee makers are much more prominently
displayed

6. STORE 5: UNIQLO
• Very brightly lit store with loud music
• Multiple floors with store personnel directing customers to appropriate
section, though I did not feel like anyone went out of their way to reach
out to me
• First thing I notice are the coats – likely that they choose items to focus
on given season or recent trends
• Very cold in the store
• Registers all the way in the back with railings designed to handle large
lines and big crowds
• Products arranged by style NOT necessarily by gender – was difficult to
tell where the women’s section started
• Prices are clearly labeled and easy to find

7. STORE 6: BANANA REPUBLIC
• Warm lighting and pleasant music in the store
• Unique smell – reminded me of fabric
• Most customers appear to be browsing, but a large majority of them
actually purchased something
• Registers located in the center of the store with fitting rooms in the
back
• Store personnel are all dressed in Banana Republic clothing and asked
if I needed help within 5 minutes. They were especially attentive in the
fitting rooms and brought sizes that I needed
• However, given location and clientele, they were running low on all
small sizes
• Prices of products easy to find, but I noticed that many products were
on sale though not clearly marked