A survey was conducted of several sports equipment stores in one area to understand why so many were located near each other. Observations about each store's appearance, merchandise, customer engagement, and other factors were collected. The data analysis showed that stores differentiating themselves through specialized products and customer experiences were more successful, while those failing to differentiate or maintain their appearance suffered. Stores need to effectively differentiate their brand to draw in customers.

1. Why so many sports-related stores
in 1 area?

2. The location: Kanata
Ontario

3. The Suspects

4. First
Impressions

5. Half of the
sign
lighted
Inventory
stacked
against
window

6. Posters
randomly
placed

7. Later in the day,
advertising hot
tubs

8. hmm, must
be about golf

9. Probably
means
something

10. Bars on the
windows

11. hmm, must
be about
hockey

12. Dominant
dark colours

13. Odd tag line

14. Proud to be
100%
Canadian
What about
the rust?

15. a rigorous survey was completed

16. That generated a lot of data

17. Thanks to modern analytical
techniques, I can summarize the
observations

18. As if a contest for
the most
disheveled store
Warehouse Feel Professional Feel
• Fitness Depot • Pro Hockey Life
• Sport Chek • Clubhouse
• Sports Mart
• Golf Town

19. Fitness equipment
is rather stinky
Smelly Not Smelly
• Fitness Depot (rubber, vinyl) • Pro Hockey Life
• Sport Chek (polyester, • Clubhouse
rubber) • Golf Town
• Sports Mart (supper)

20. Stores where
women work more
likely to be greeted
Staff Ignored Customers Staff Greeted Customers
• Fitness Depot • Pro Hockey Life
• Clubhouse • Sport Chek
• Sports Mart • Golf Town
Greeted fast in a
stores

21. Stores with the most
niche products had the Stores with the m
more engaged diverse inventory te
customers (Golf, Hockey to have the mos
shoppers (Sports C
Shopping Alone, Mainly Men Family Shopping
• Fitness Depot • Pro Hockey Life
• Clubhouse • Sports Chek
• Sports Mart
• Golf Town

22. Stores with the most
niche products had the Stores with the m
more engaged diverse inventory te
customers (Golf, Hockey to have the mos
shoppers (Sports C
Can Touch and Try Mainly Clothes
• Fitness Depot (no one was) • Clubhouse
• Sports Chek (Golf) • Sports Mart
• Golf Town
• Pro Hockey Life

23. Most professional display, best
floor (wood) - Clubhouse

24. Most engaging display: Pro
hockey life

25. How did the stores make me
feel?

26. • Didn’t matter if the door was open or what
colours were used, shoddy display ands are
not welcoming

27. Most stores were aiming to be
about the same

28. Merchandize was crowded
Except for Clubhouse

29. Radio music was playing loudly
Except for Pro Hockey Life who were
playing old hockey play-by-play

30. Diagnosis: Stores that effectively
differentiate draw in buyers

31. Stores that differentiate seem to
benefit from proximity to stores
with similar merchandize
When those other stores fail to
keep up appearances and fail to
provide compelling differentiation

32. Other conclusions…
• Cash register location
• Eye level merchandize
• On-sale merchandize
• High cost merchandize
• Colouring schemes
Were not materially
different among
all the stores visited

33. And, what does a
fitness equipment
that sells hot tubs
mean for brand
consistency?