Assignment 2: Obsevations byF. Challandes-Angelini & Kevin Ferrell

We went to a local shopping center to compare more and less successful stores, all in the same location, according to the criteria provided: exterior, environment, personnel, products & customers.

Collage No.1: COSTCO A wholesale warehouse store. A destination! According to all criteria, this was our favorite store draws you in, with open doors and people enthusiastically bustling in. The environment is plain, like a warehouse--conveying low prices, high ceilings, brightly lit, well organized merchandise, clean, bright and shiny. Customers WANT to stay and buy. There is a low level sense of excitement. There are not really any sales people. It is selfserve, but there are lots of people offering food samples. Workers with friendly, happy demeaners, replenishing shelves, straightening and willing to be helpful. Products are known to be high quality. Displays and prices are clear. No sale items. Cash registers are efficient and move quickly. No real evidence of security except at exit where items in cart are checked against cash register receipt. Lots of happy customers streaming out with full carts.

Collage No 2: TARGETOne would expect Target to be similar to COSTCO in many way, focused on low prices mainly, but execution is inferior. The doors are not open, fewer people are going in or out and certainly with fewer purchases and less happy faces. It does not draw you in. The dcor is more colorful and stylish red, bright and clean. Well lit. Minimal sales people or workers in sight except at cash registers. No samples. Signage is just average, e.g., shoes. Again, mostly self service--find what you want. Prices are pretty clear. Some sales items. Impulse items at cash registers. Not as much energy as Costco.

Collage No. 3: PETCO:Box store for pets and pet supplies, accessories, etc. Similar criticisms as for Target. Decor is plain. Doors are not open. One set of doors actually were locked closed and said do not enter w/o indicating where to enter. Average lighting. There is an animal odor. Some sales people available, but just standing around. Interesting display of pet treat bar, like a salad bar in a grocery store. Prices not always clear. Some impulse items at cash registers. not many customers.

Collage No. 4: Marshalls A cut price clothing store specializing in "Labels for Less." Drab, looks like Russian department store from the '80s. No color, decor, style. Says "Fashion with a Passion," but no fashion or passion in the store's appearance. Just clothes on racks not particularly well positioned. Somewhat disheveled, average lighting, average cleanliness. Low staffing levels. Buyers line up and are directed to cash register by a machine saying which register is now available for checkout. Regimentation. Tons of impulse items. The value must be great, because the experience certainly is not.

Collage No. 5: Sephora A women's cosmetics store. Open door, very fashionable, great design, lighting is part of the design, part of the experience. Decor is like you're in the cosmetics department of very fancy department store in New York, London or Paris. Fashion photos on the walls. Goods very well displayed. Staff are dressed in fashionable uniforms, look good. Likely well trained.This is a class operation.

Collage No. 6: Claire's A women's accessories store, cheap jewelry, nik-naks, etc. Open door, but like a cave because the lighting is so poor--like they're trying to save on electricity with low watt bulbs or something. No style or fashion. Layout very average. Minimal staff. No decor. Nothing distictive. No energy. Blah. Don't see how it can last.

Collage No 7: Pumpkin patch nearbyThis adhoc short term setup exhibited a lot of the same qualities as COSTCO!! Driving by, the place drew us in by the activity and excitement that was obvious. It is of course out in the open, so easy entry and people (adults as well as children) were bustling around clearly enjoying themselves and buying. The environment was of course plain, but clean and orderly. It was mostly find your own pumpkin but they were selling quite a few other things like homemade butter and ice cream. There were some free samples and salesfolks to ring up the sales. Prices were clear, payment easy and no obvious security. It seemed as if everyone was there to buy.