crash course in creativity: store observations

1. Store Observations
Assignment 2

2. Observations
Cash register was located at the back of the
store in a craftsperson store close to their
work areas vs sales area
Craftsperson store = milliner, beading store,
knitting store

3. Observations
Greet me and leave me and I’ll stay.
Acknowledging customers with a quick hello
but leaving them on their own to browse for 5
minutes then asking if they wanted assistance
received more favorable responses for
assistance that those where store personnel
asked for assistance within the first minute.

4. Observations
Customers must be magpies.
• The first items at eye level entering the store
were extremely colourful and had texture and
they were not expensive items.

5. Observations
I need space.
Stores with high ceilings and multiple
levels – people stayed longer and
explored more.

6. Insights
•If it smells like home/good - I’m in.
My nose leds the way: roasted chicken and
baked goods were located in heat lamped
stands near the cash entranceway to two large
stores welcoming you into the store as if coming
home to a well cooked dinner, and yet the
bakery department and the prepared foods
sections were significantly further into the
store.

7. Insights
Pied Piper is in town!
The music is playing and customer waiting in
line at cash register stayed longer than if no
music playing.

8. Insights
Let there be light!
• Bright lights = I can see what’s there and this makes me feel more
comfortable, so we will stay in the store longer vs dimmed lighting store
with merchandise (e.g. who or what’s hiding behind the next corner that
might surprise me).

9. Insights
An open door is an invitation: And the wider
the door/entranceway – the greater invitation.
The traffic flow was greater going into those
stores that presented no barrier to
entering/open door than those stores that
had either closed doors or closed doors with
an advertising sandwich board outside
promoting the products inside the store.

10. Insights
There is a breadcrumb trail created in some
store layouts that take you past some
merchandise and leads you directly to the cash
register.

11. Surprises
I was surprised at the multitude of senses that
the store engaged the customer. It was a subtle
orchestration to draw me in and keep me
soothed and comfortable and engaged.

12. Opportunities
In the small crafts persons store – having a
stylish coat hook in a “safe” area away from
the door would enable people to engage more
with the merchandise in the cold weather – as
it was hard to do carrying the bulk of hats,
gloves and coat.

13. Opportunities
Creating an open work table for customers to
“play” with raw materials with the
craftsperson might create more relationships
between the customer and the store owner
and more opportunities to explore options and
thus potential to increase sales.

14. Opportunities
Edit.
More is less.
Too much merchandise and you are unable
to focus.
Editing in displaying products is important.

15. Opportunities
Change store colours to go with the season
and our seasonal needs, comforts.