The document provides observations of the environments and experiences at several retail stores, including Safeway, Walmart, Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, Costco, and Home Depot. Key details noted include the lighting, signage, employee behaviors, product displays, music, checkout processes, and overall feels of invitingness or busyness within each store. Common themes across stores include descriptions of the ceilings, shelves, entrance and exit processes, and primary customer demographics.

1. Observation

2. Safeway
• The sign is not that big.
• The windows are tinted so the store looks dark from the outside.
• Not inviting because it gives an illusion at night as if the store is closed.
• But once inside there’s dim lighting, earth tone colors.
• The store is easy on the eye’s and makes you relax a bit.
• Well insulated so sound doesn’t bounce around.
• There’s not many employees
• No one is really in a hurry.
• The first product you see are donuts and cakes.
• A few customers, manly college students.
• Soothing music playing.

3. Wal-Mart
• The entry ways are bright
• Well labeled for Food
• The store sign is Huge
• The entrances are labeled with what is on that side. McDonald's, Subway, Pharmacy, Food Center, Market & Pharmacy,
Home & Pharmacy, which you can see clearly from the parking lot.
• Inviting when coming in.
• In a hurry to get out.
• The ceilings are mid range about 25ft.
• There are around 20 check outlines, but only a few are open at a time.
• The employees are always busy.
• Everyone is in a hurry.
• No common courtesy
• Employees and customers walk on the side your walking and towards you.
• If you move to a side where no one is walking then they will all switch to that side. Like the Truman shop.
• They have everything, but not every brand.
• No music playing.
• First thing you see when walking in are DVD movie adverting. Then a fast food restaurant, McDonald’s or Subway.
• People of all different ages and lots of kids.

4. Best Buy
• Huge store sign
• Distinguishable color scheme outside that can be noticed from far.
• Awkward double sliding door.
• Awkward greeting after the 2nd door, by security with an informative, how are you doing sir and a dirty look. Letting you
know that there watching you.
• High ceilings.
• Low shelves
• Angry sales people.
• Customer service is too far from the entrance door.
• Cool electronics
• High Prices
• Awkward walk ways and isles.
• All the alarms on display products go off if you touch them.
• Most display products are not charged and do not have any memory.
• Products are inviting, but uncomfortable environment to stay in.
• Lots of broken display products.
• No music
• One check outline, a maze of products to walk through to get called to one of three registers.
• Awkward have a good day.
• Better to buy online

5. Fry’s Electronics
• Huge sign
• Uninviting entrance, looks like a business office from outside.
• Welcomer is more of a prison guard
• Matches online prices
• Awkward stares from employees, hyena like
• Display products are broken.
• Employees are confident, but not always knowledgeable
• Store is spaced out
• Lots of walking
• Fair priced
• Bulk items
• Very High ceilings
• Red and Desert Tan color scheme
• High and low shelves
• Hard to find an employee for certain areas due to low visibility from pillars and high shelves.
• Long walk through impulse buys, to get to
• An Employee, that tells you to wait for one of 45 cashier checkouts.
• After checkout, long walk back to exit
• At exit an employee checks to make sure receipt matches items.
• Exhausting

6. Costco
• Tight Parking
• Store Sign is big, but compared to the building it is small
• Big garage bay doors
• Greeted by a member security check
• First items seen are big TV’s and Sofa’s
• Very High ceilings
• Bright lighting
• Busy workers
• Nice employees
• Lots of food samples
• High shelves on the edge of the store and low shelves and tables in the middle. Making for an open feel.
• Delicious smells from the bakery.
• Good food court, with low prices, but only excepts cash at the food court.
• 5 registers
• Quick check out, all bulk items.
• Great service
• No music
• Garage doors, Air conditioners, and tires for sale on the way out.
• Checked at the door, to match items to receipt.

7. Home Depot
• Huge store sign
• Lots of entrances; Entrance, exit, Lumber, or garden.
• Hard to find employees
• Knowledgeable employees
• Many products
• Many options to be creative and innovative
• High ceilings
• High shelves
• Check out near all exits
• Easy to buy from
• Easy to return
• No music
• Concrete floors
• Orange and Sand painted scheme
• Help loading products to vehicle
• Rental tools
• Even a rent a truck if needed.

8. Thanks for Viewing