The document summarizes observations from visiting various retail stores. Some key findings include: 1) Discount stores like Marshall's had dirty floors and broken fixtures while specialty stores were clean and well-maintained. 2) Most customers at clothing stores shopped with someone else for opinions. 3) Some surprises were that Semolina Bread sold deli food, not bread, and Francesca's salespeople ignored customers. 4) Small details like open doors, lighting, and cleanliness impacted the shopping experience more than the merchandise.

1. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
Insights and Hidden Opportunities That I
Found While I was Paying Attention:
General Aha Moments:
Watch the course videos first.
I am a sucker for a bargain. Time spent on assignment =
4 hours, money spent on assignment = $50
Things I saw that I had missed before:
The facility and display maintenance varied widely from
store to store. The discount department stores were
not well maintained, for example dirty floors, broken
fixtures, sloppy displays, broken hangers. The specialty
retailers and boutique were clean and very well
maintained, which enhanced the image of the store.
Most customers in the clothing stores had someone
with them to provide opinions and feedback and/or to
enhance the social aspect of shopping.
Biggest Surprises:
I thought that the Semolina Bread Company was a bakery selling baked
goods and it’s a deli restaurant. There was not a loaf of bread to be had.
In francesca’s boutique the two salespeople were deep in a conversation
and ignored all of the customers in the store for the entire time I was
there.

2. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
The entry doors at Marshall’s had to be opened
manually and were hard to open. I watched an older
woman struggle to get into the store with a shopping
cart. She had to wait for another customer to assist
her.
On the way out, the obvious anti-theft barriers made
me feel like a potential criminal (same at Burlington
Coat Factory).
The patio and entry for Semolina Bread Company
should have been inviting, but was poorly lit and the
interior was also poorly lit, so it didn’t look open
I was surprised how such a simple thing as open front
doors could make me feel so welcomed and draw me
in. Ann Taylor had both of its outside doors wide

3. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
open, screaming come on in! Not to mention the well placed 60% off sign…
Francesca’s had really engaging windows, but
the closed doors and merchandise table too
close to the entry made me hesitant to enter.

4. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
The entry to Stop and Shop usually has a lot of plants that make the entry
feel more welcoming, but we were preparing for Hurricane Sandy and
everything was taken inside.
The entry to Burlington Coat Factory was a similar unwelcoming design to
Marshalls but did have automatic doors. Burlington Coat Factory actually
herds people through the checkout line, with stanchions and display
cases loaded with unmarked/untagged merchandise. I was surprised
by how depersonalizing and dehumanizing that is.
I was surprised at my change in view and perception when I paid
attention to my feeling and my experience in each store, rather than
paying attention to the merchandise.
Opportunities Hidden in Plain Sight:
I think there is a tremendous opportunity and market for “store stagers”, much like “home stagers” who could focus on the customer
experience, rather than on merchandise display. Imagine what you need to do to give your home curb appeal when you sell it and use the same
theories in store staging. I think the focus is often on displaying merchandise, when the focus should be on building the long term relationship
with the customer by giving them a positive shopping experience. There are a lot of little things that can be done to make the store feel like a
higher end store and make the customer feel more valued, such as:
 Maintain the physical plant and display structures.
 Get rid of clutter, it’s tiring.

5. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
 Open the doors and welcome customers. Like Tom Kelly, look at the entry like a traveler, then move in and do the same inside.
 Mix the lighting with natural light wherever possible, old style industrial fluorescent lighting and high industrial ceilings feel cold and
impersonal.
 Use a theme or themes when organizing merchandise
 Pay attention to your branding.
 Greet customers
 Train staff – I was impressed by a few of the salespeople I interacted with by their cheerful and helpful attitude. That should be the rule
in retail rather than the exception.
 Lower ceilings to make them feel warmer, but no so low you feel crowded. It will save energy too…
 Put plants around the entryway and if appropriate in the stores.
 Be discreet in placement of anti-theft devices.

6. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
Here’s my observation data:
Francesca’s Semolina Bread Burlington Coat
Observation Lab Marshalls Stop n Shop Ann Taylor
Collections Company Factory
Women’s
Discount name Women’s
Clothing and Discount
Type of Store brand clothing Groceries Clothing Specialty Deli
Accessories Department Store
and accessories Retailer
Boutique
Before you enter the store:
No, poorly lit,
Does the store draw you in? If No, poorly Yes, open door, Yes, great
No outside tables No
so, how? designed entry great windows window displays
poorly laid out
Is the door open or closed? Closed Closed Open Closed Closed Closed
How does this make you feel? Ordinary Ordinary Welcomed Not special Unwelcome Ordinary
How big is the sign lettering
Sentence case Sentence case All caps Lower case Sentence case Sentence case
and in what font?
What does it tell you about
Not sure Not sure Not sure Not sure Not sure Not sure
the store?
Before you enter the store:
Environment:
What is the color scheme of
Yellow, purple, Green, maroon
the store? How does this Blue and white Black and white Black and taupe Red and white
green and red and white
affect you?
What type of floor does the
store have? How does this linoleum linoleum Wood wood tile linoleum
effect the environment?
15-20’ Dry wall
How high is the ceiling? How 30’ approx, cold 30’ approx, cold and wood 30’ approx, cold
15-20’, warmer 15-20’, warmer
does this feel? & industrial & industrial beams, feels & industrial
rich

7. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
Low
Fluorescent, Alternating, Mixed lighting, Fluorescent,
How brightly lit is the store? Lower lighting, “atmosphere”
brightly lit, feels Fluorescents, felt like real brightly lit, feels
How does this affect you? not even lighting, felt
cold too dim daylight, cold
inappropriate
Francesca’s Semolina Bread Burlington Coat
Observation Lab Marshalls Stop n Shop Ann Taylor
Collections Company Factory
Relatively loud,
Quiet for a Quiet, but not a
How loud is the environment? busy time in Quiet and calm Quiet Very quiet
grocery store busy time
store
Quiet Background Customers and
People and Low ambience Background
What is causing the noise? background music and staff,
music music music
noise kitchen noise announcements
Is there music playing? If so,
Yes Yes Yes Yes
does it fit the environment?
Is the store warm or cold? Warm Warm Warm Warm Warm warm
Is the store crowed with
crowded crowded Sparse Crowded Sparse Crowded
merchandise or is it sparse?
Does the store have a Mixed food New clothes
No No Bread no
distinctive smell? smells smell
Where is the cash register Left side, Right side,
Right up front Front of store Back of store Front of store
located? middle middle
How visible is the store Security system Security system
Invisible Invisible Invisible invisible
security? right up front right up front
Just long Long enough to
How long do you want to stay Long enough to Less than an
Hours enough to buy look through Not long
in this store? eat… hour
groceries every rack
Does the environment
influence the perceived value Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
of the merchandise?
Personnel:

8. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
No contact
How long does it take before
When I went to (used Immediate Immediate
a sales person initiates No contact Checkout
dressing room automated contact contact
contact?
checkout)
Francesca’s Semolina Bread Burlington Coat
Observation Lab Marshalls Stop n Shop Ann Taylor
Collections Company Factory
Does the salesperson have a
script to follow with each No No No No No No
customer?
Does the salesperson treat
Didn’t seem
different customers Hard to tell N/A Yes No No
that way
differently?
What is the ratio of
Few to many Few to many 2 to 2 2 to 6 2 to 3 Few to many
salespeople to customers?
What age and gender are the Mixed age, and Mixed age and Middle aged 20’s and 30’s Young male and Mixed age and
employees? gender gender females females female gender
Are the salespeople using the
Yes Probably yes yes Don’t know yes
store products?
Do the salespeople have a
No Yes No No Yes No
uniform?
Yes, though one Yes
may have been
Do the salespeople match the
Yes Yes Yes a bit older than Yes
stores image?
the store’s
target market
Products:
Gourmet food
What is the first product that Halloween Cookie display Table of new
Jewelry in front Cold cuts packages and
you notice? costumes in entry clothes in front
jewelry
There are
Is there a central display table
central racks, No Yes Yes No Central racks
with featured products?
not tables

9. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
Francesca’s Semolina Bread Burlington Coat
Observation Lab Marshalls Stop n Shop Ann Taylor
Collections Company Factory
Tucked into
Sale racks mixed Back left of Sale racks mixed
Where are items that are “for back hallway Specials listed
into various store near Back of store into various
sale” located in the store? and end of on board
depts.. dressing rooms depts..
aisles
How are the products Gender, age, Style Type of product
Gender, type of
arranged? By function? By type of product, Type of product collections, and size where Flavor
product, size
price? By color? size then size appropriate
Are there free samples or
No Yes No No No No
demonstrations?
Shoes, bags,
What products are at eye Style Displays & Jewelry and Various products
accessories and ,Name brands none
level? mannequins purses in every dept.
homegoods
What items in the store are in
the least accessible locations?
Most expensive Most expensive
Newest, front Most expensive
Where are the most and least up front, least eye level, Both mixed
and center, sale up front and N/A
expensive products located? mixed generic mixed through store
at back least at back.
throughout throughout
Yes, but Yes, pricing
Are the prices of the products
Yes Yes discreetly Yes board clearly Yes
easy to find?
placed displayed
Are there impulse items near
yes yes no yes yes yes
the cash register?
Customers:
Are most customers alone or
with someone else? What is With someone Both Alone With someone With someone With someone
the relationship?
What is the average age and Young adult Mixed ages and
Very mixed 21+ females 40+ females 20-40 females
gender of the customers? mixed gender genders

10. Diane Sabato A Crash Course in Creativity
When a customer enters the
store, do they tend to walk in No Yes No No Yes No
the same path or direction? -
How long do customers stay
? ? ? ? ? ?
in the store, on average?
Do customer touch the
Yes/Yes Yes/not really Yes/Yes Yes/Yes No/No Yes/Yes
products? Is this encouraged?
Do most customers appear to
be on a mission or are they Browsing On a mission Browsing Browsing On a mission Browsing
browsing?
What percent of customers
purchase products in the ? ? ? ? ? ?
store?
Other Observations: