Stanford Online Course Observation of Retail Stores

Stanford University Online Course
By Venture Lab
A Crash Course on Creativity
By Professor Tina Selig

Assignment 2: Are You Paying Attention

By Pranav Sanghavi
October 2012

INSIGHTS
INTO

RETAILING

Stanford University Online Course: A Crash Course on Creativity Assignment 2 Are you Paying Attention By Pranav Sanghavi October 2012 02

Observations Before
Entering the Store


Before entering the store:

Things Observed: My Take on the same:

• Store Name is always • This helps to etch the
in big bold and bright store name in the
fonts, displayed customers mind
prominently
• Innovative and catchy • This draws the passing
window displays potential customer
into the store
through large walls of
glass
• It makes the customer
• Majority of the stores feel welcome
have their doors open

In Store Environment


In Store Environment:


• Color Schemes are • This allows the focus
always subdued to be drawn to the
barring one store products on display
which was a kids store
• As flooring, a majority • They were shiny but
of them had basic plain as most
ceramic tiles barring customers look at
two, one of whom had products and not at
floors. The wooden
wooden floor and the floor adds to the
other a bit of marble warmth of the store



• Ceiling heights were • This gives a sense of
at least 12 to 15 feet calm and feels non-
claustrophobic
with some having
over 25 feet
• All stores were • It makes for a vibrant
brightly lit with environment and
ample lights on the allows the customer
to see the products
products displayed clearly



• All the stores had soft • This is conducive to
music playing barring shopping and the
one which had loud dance music was
dance music playing at a sporting
goods store
• There was no loud
noise within the stores • Loud noise would
and the store probably make the
temperature was just customer leave the
perfect not too cold or store in a hurry and
hot same goes with
extreme temperature



• Stores had distinctive • The smell creates an
smell and crowded identity in your mind like
the store name display
with merchandise
• The security cameras • The customers would
are very discreet could be offended by in-
their-face security
• The environment does cameras
influence the • That could be another
perceived value of the reason that the stores
merchandise are not richly decorated


Personnel Observation


Personnel Observations:

• All the personnel are • It’s the enthusiasm and
young adults in their 20s energy of the youth that
barring a few store would help the sales
managers and there are
equal number of both
male and female staff
• Majority of the stores • I guess it works for me as
lets the customer I don’t like to be
browse and promptly pestered when I’m
helps when asked to and browsing for
didn’t notice them merchandise and ask
treating customers only when I’m buying
differently something


Personnel Observations:


• Every Store had a • It’s easier for the
uniform for their customer to identify
employees and only one
store employees used
the staff and ask for
their own products help
• The ratio widely varied • Larger stores had a
from 1:10 to 1: 2 weaker ratio where
depending on the as smaller ones had
customers in the store
a better ratio
and the size of the store


Product (of) Observation


Product (of) Observation:


• The first product one • This product is either
notices is the one the main product of
displayed on a table in the store or items on
front of the entrance sale to draw the
• Most stores have a customer into the
central display table store
• Sale items are either up • Those store who use
in the front or right at sale items to draw a
the back customer set them up
in front



• The products are • This makes it easy for the
customer to find and
arranged by function and browse
colors mostly • These help in promoting
• No free samples but sales
demonstrations and try • Makes it easier to view
me products the products and hard to
miss
• Over 90% of the • It saves the customer the
products are at eye level embarrassment of asking
a staff not knowing
• All prices were easy to whether they will be able
find to afford it or not



• Slow selling items were • I guess it makes sense to
found at the least have fast selling items up
accessible location front
• Many of the stores had • I guess the store would
not be perceived as too
the most expensive and expensive if two
least expensive products disparately priced items
next to each other were together
• All stores had impulse • It is surely there to temp
items next to the cash the customer to add
register items in their cart

Customer is KING or QUEEN


Customer is King or Queen:


• All customers were • Very few came on their
own. I guess shopping is a
either with family or group activity as the
friends opinion of the other
person matters before
• The customers age purchase
ranged from 5 to 70 • At the mall there are
years and both male and stores which cater to kids
females were in equal as well as older people
• I guess it’s because of the
number layout of the store as they
• Many stores they tend to want the customer to
walk in the same path follow a particular path


Customer is King or Queen:


• The customer stays • It depends on the factors
like store size,
anything from 5 to 30 merchandise (electronics:
minutes more time, clothes: lesser
time)
• They do touch the
• It helps the customer make
products and it is an informed decision
encouraged in all stores I
visited • Certain stores like shoe
stores the customer is on a
• There is a mixed number mission where as for
of customers either on a clothes they are generally
mission or just browsing browsing


Other Observations,
Things Missed Before
And Opportunities


Observations & Things Missed Before:


• Every store had at • This is unique to India
least one security as shop lifting is
guard at the entrance common and this
would put a sense of
fear in the potential
• All cash register shop lifter
counters are either
towards the exit or at • I had never noticed
the back of the store this in stores fact
before this exercise

Opportunities:

Things Observed: Opportunity:

• All the floors are shiny, • I feel there isfor a company
opportunity
an
slippery and to provide a thin
absolutely plain rubber/plastic (recyclable)
floor mat with printed
details about the products,
directions to sections etc.,
which affixes itself easily to
the floor. They could be
foot shaped, roll out mats
like carpets etc. This will
make the floor more safe
and more informative to
the customer.

Thank You


Stanford Online Course Observation of Retail Stores

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