The document summarizes observations from a shopping mall experience lab, noting themes in store layout, product presentation, and customer demographics across various stores including fashion retailers Tommy Hilfiger and Zara, electronics stores Apple and GameStop, and a grocery store. Overall, some stores created distinct experiences through themes and interactive displays, while most opted for clean, open designs with limited clutter, though store strategies varied in guiding customer movement and time spent browsing.

1. Crash Course On Creativity
Observation Lab: Store Experience
H. Zimmer, October 2012

2. General Remarks
Location: Urban
Type: Shopping mall
Building includes a
cinema, gym and multiple
restaurants/food court

3. 1. Fashion store (Women And Men)
Tommy Hilfiger (international brand, smaller)

4. Hilfiger
Large store front with a “themed” decoration, use of props and big photo
wallpapers. People can imagine how to use the clothes, potentially buy a
whole “outfit”.
Color scheme mostly black and an off-white that lets the bright colors of the
garments stand out more.
Surprise: The store looks inviting and well organized to me, but many
people seemed to “window shop” without entering. Could be a hidden
conflict.

5. 2. Fashion store (Women and Men)
H&M (large international chain)

6. H&M
No clear theme. A bit of a department store flair.
Security: Fairly obvious “anti theft” gate at the entry with a cameras, and a
security guard nearby. Security devices also existing at other stores in mall,
but rather hidden out of sight. Might signal a lack of trust in customers.
Merchandise: “Basic” apparel, with cheaper items organized mostly in front
for impulse purchases.
Target group: Lots of families in the store, with parents buying for their
kids and teenagers.

7. 3. Women’s Fashion Store
ZARA (international chain)

8. Zara
Potentially hidden/missed opportunity: No clearly recognizable theme a la
Hilfiger (maybe because collections change fast).
Elegant design, but looks somewhat sterile.
Somewhat confusing layout. People seem to search around more before
they find what they are looking for (browsing).
Can’t look easily into the store from outside (only through door) due to
smoked glass and curtains behind store front windows. If customers don’t
immediately like the window exhibitions and don’t know the brand yet
they might not get drawn in to try it out.

9. 4. Men’s Fashion store
Olymp (small chain, no big brand)

10. Olymp
Business-oriented, but not high end.
No theme, just what looks like generic “corporate” stock photos.
Outfit suggestions for customers who are unsure what fits together, e.g. ties
matching shirts matching suits, plus some accessories.
Employees are also asking very soon if you need assistance.
A lot of the merchandise is stacked in shelves, rather than hanging. A bit
like shopping at a grocery store, but easier to find.
Overall impression: Store seems trimmed to efficiency, buying daily
“necessities” rather than “fashion”.

11. 5. Electronics store
Apple (premium reseller, not original store)

12. Apple
Very clean organization, almost sparse interior design. Well lit.
Limited product selection on display (“less is more”, paradox of choice).
People are encouraged to try out the products. Time of stay seems longer
than in other stores. Many customers seem to have no intension to purchase
anything that day, just “kick the tires” and enjoy the product experience.
Employees are helpful but don’t try to “hard sell”. The products seem to
rather sell themselves. Often stay at cash register in the back of the store.

13. 6. Electronics store (video games specialty)
GameStop

14. Video Game store
Very different product presentation compared especially to Apple store
(also smaller sq. ft.)
Everything is crowded with merchandise. Rather simple shelves.
Despite the appearance the selection is fairly easy to navigate for most
customers (e.g. sorted by game console and PC). Few have to ask for advice.
Considerably younger customers, many teenagers but not exclusively (e.g.
some men seemingly above age 40).
Service personnel seem to be video gamers themselves. Try to “upsell”
customers to buy more, or get them to pre-register for upcoming releases.

15. 7. Grocery Store
Local, no big chain

16. Store Detail:
Bakery at entrance to Grocery Store

17. Grocery store
Fresh food is placed in front. Also a small bakery included in the store at the
front, presumably to make it easily accessible and make store smell good.
Small shopping “islands” with special offers to slow down customers who
have to go around them. Customers will inevitably look at them.
Customers are guided through a maze of aisles and have to go through
almost the whole store to exit, pass by everything even if you entered with a
specific purpose to shop fast (compare to IKEA furniture stores).
Different flooring to per section. Some more “rustic” in fresh food section.
Product display much less elegant than in most other mall stores, rather
utilitarian. No clear color scheme.

18. 8. Gift Store
Local, no big chain

19. Gift store
Has capitalized on a seasonal selection of products. Products are mostly
grouped into logical arrangement.
Most customers in the store seem to be women, especially middle-aged.
Located at a corner with widely open store front and clear glass windows
throughout, merchandise easily visible from outside.
Company logo is a bright green, but other colors in the store were mostly
white and autumn colors.

20. Overall insights
Some stores were able to create a distinct shopping “experience”, though
without measuring over a longer timeframe it is just an estimated guess that
this might draw in more customers and thereby potentially increase
revenue.
Most stores in this mall were opting for a clean look, often using white
shades as the overall background color for the walls and separators.
Most stores rather left a lot of “empty space” with no merchandise
cluttering the aisles and walking paths, though there were exceptions (e.g.
GameStop).
The Apple reseller and the grocery store seemed to have developed ways to
keep customers longer in the store, though via very different mechanisms.