Observation lab

Jana Štěrbová

Observation of observation

• First I would like to say few words about doing this task.• On one hand I really enjoyed just walking in the shop and

looking around me, but on the other hand especially in smaller shop I felt like I want to steal something – maybe because I am young, my clothes are average and I am shy person-that can make the impression to salesmen – in none shop was security separately.

• So I didn´t take any picture and all my photos are from internet.

• I chose six different shops/places to observe cause I wanted unlike experiences.

zebra

• About shop: women fashion, luxurious, but not too overpriced

• Before entering: – I like orange colour – so the shop attracted me.– The doors were open - it looks better, than closed ones,

cause you can easily take a look and go back if you don´t like what you see. And if you are not decided to go in, the closed doors will create new obstacle which can discourage you to enter.

– The sign you can see at the picture. Actually I don´t understand the first small letter. On one hand it´s something which can capture you, but on contrary for me it makes impression of disorder.

• Environment:– The colours are orange, but in cubicles area there are also

green stripes – I like the differentiation from the rest of the shop.

– Floor is same as in the rest of the shopping center, which means no interface between shop and corridor. I am not sure if I like it or not.

– Ceiling is really low, it doesn´t feel good – the shop is already small and I think the low ceiling making it even smaller and cramped.

– The lights were fine, but in the window there were too much to light up a lot of figurines. This was weird – so small shop and so many figurines. On the other hand it shows various combination of the clothes.

– No music was playing, but nearby there were restaurants and children´s corner. It was a little bit disturbing.

– Store was warm, no distinctive smell occurs.– It was sparse.– The cash register was located right in front of the

entrance in the middle of the shop, close to the cubicles. In that way it was handy, but it also appears to me that the salesman has view to the whole shop and he can watching you as you watching clothes.

– I stayed there just few minutes.– I think the environment was developed to attract

elegant middle-aged ladies.

• Personnel– It took about 3 minutes before saleswoman asked me

about my wish. I think they has some introduction phrases as :“How can I help you?“

– I think they treated everyone the same, but e.g.I didn´t see any male customer to walk in.

– The salespersons were two middle-aged elegant-dressed women, according to my opinion they were encouraged to dress elegant but not forced to were shop´s products. They matched the store and customers.

• Products– First which I noticed it was ballgown in front of the

entrance.– For sale I actually didn´t notice at all, which now I consider

as weird, so if there where some signs they were really well hidden.

– Products were arranged by type (dress/coats…).– In the window there are figurines, no free samples(but it

would be weird in clothes shop).

– In my eye-level were some products by walls, then jackets and jewellery in back part of the store – which were also least accesible.

– The cheapest clothes were located in front part of the shop, the most expensive ones at the left part by wall , not so close to entrance.

– The prices were easy to find, but they were written by hand, it looked kind of unprofessional.

– If there were impulse products I didn´t notice them.Customers

- most of the customers were alone, women, middle-aged or younger around 30. I think they walked in the same pathways cause the shop was small.- they were staying around 5 minutes, mostly browsing and didn´t buy products, I think one of six did. I think customers could touch the clothes but it wasn´t directly encouraged.

Intersport• About shop

– big sport shop• Before entering

– Door was opened, the sign of the shop was too high in compare with other shops, there were also 2 side signs – but they were a little bit blocking the passage. I think they wanted big and impressive entrance and I guess it´s working well.

• Environment– The color scheme is mostly white, or maybe light grey, the logo

contains also blue and red colours, but they don´t appear in the shop interior. I think that´s ok, cause they´re offering a lot of colourful staff, so it would be too overdecorated.

– Floor is made from grey wood-shaped lino, it fits with the rest of the shop.

– Ceiling was high and the upper space was covered with lights and pipes but I think it was ok. One part of the shop has lower ceiling – in this section was also service – place with lot of mess, trash and no salesman – this could look differently. Offered staff here was to summer or not so often sports – also least accesible.

– Shop was lighted well and also warm. There was music playing – some modern songs which plays on the radio recently – it matched with the shop.

– It was rather sparse but there was at least a few customers constantly.

– Cash register was in the left part of the shop, close to the exit – better than in the middle and handy when you decided to go away.

– I stayed there almost 15 minutes, just wandering – actually there were some interesting staff

• Products– First I noticed sport shoes in discount:) But there was a little

podium arranged with winter sports outfits and equipment – it was cute.

– Items for sale were located mostly in the front part of the shop.– Products were arranged by sports – and the rest of clothes were

together. I think it was clever, cause when you ar interested in one sport you have all products in one part. There were also cubicles on different places of the shop, so you don´t have to come far and then go back if the clothes or something doesn´t fit you.

– I think there were available demonstration but salesmen didn´t encouraged people to try anything.

– Most expensive products were located in the back part of the shop, least in the front – guess cause of thieves.

– The prize would be easy to find but I wasn´t sure about some products if there is one prize to all of them or some another – so that was confusing.

– They were impulse items – like beverages and key tags.• Customers

– Customers were families with older kids around 18, or married couples 25+ or young people 20-40 wandering alone.

– I think firstly they walked the same way but then they are focused on their desired items – most of them is going for concrete things. They stayed in the shop around 10 or 15 minutes.

– I think most of the customers were buying something.

• Personnel– I stayed in the shop 15 minutes and nobody initiated

contact. Even though they were around 7 employees. One customer mixed me with the employees – I don´t why, cause I have black coat and bag. I think they definitely treat customers differently.

– The ration of the employees to cutomers could be one to one or more, but they didn´t care so much.

– Salespersons were women around 20 and one young guy.

– Uniform was unified red T-shirt with sport dark trousers and shoes according to their choice I guess.

– I think they matched the store, but they weren´t active, nor nice. I had bad impression of them.

Tea room – On the windy hill• About the shop

– Combination of shop and „tea café“• Before entering

– I like the look from the outside, but it can feel a little bit messy, desorganised and not decent. And the iron bars also look hostile. People have to ring the door to be opened. I am always nervous and sometimes I wait a long time.

• Environment– The floor is covered with carpets, people have to take off their shoes,

it´s homey, but for the first visitation it can feel weird and some people could have problem with that.

– Ceiling is really low, covered with dark blanket or lighter with ornaments – also walls, feels mysterious.

– The rooms are dark, so not good place to study or read, only on extra places. There is always cold, even in summer.

– There is playing exotic or relaxing music which matches the interior perfectly, but it´s not for everyone.

– There is distinctive smell of sweet, tea and incense sticks.• Personnel

– First people put their shoes to the salesman and they get small badge to not mix them up. Then people have to find their own place to sit, nobody will show them where to choose, it can be confusing during first visit.

– Then salesman bring them menu in few minutes, but there is no way to decently call the person, if you want something, you have just to call loudly on him when he´s passing by or go to the cash register.

– They have uniform black T-shirt and black apron. Cause the whole interior is dark, it just vanish in it.

– Sometimes it´s crowded, sometimes sparse – depends on time and day. I think they treat customers differently.

– They are mostly young men.• Products

– Products to sale are on the walls on both sides while you walking from the entrance to the cash register where you put your shoes.

– They are not visible or emphasise, not lightened – just few people notice them. But there are impulse items like bonbons.

– The prize is visible, if you notice the products.– There are a lot of leaflets to take and read.

• Customers– Mostly couples, friends, groups of two or more

people, young people 15-35. Walking in the same path. Since it has character more café than a shop they stayed about two hours or longer.

– Products for sale it´s not so much bought, mostly teas in the time of stay or other products.

You can see this from entrance.

Wineshop• This shop really attracted me in, cause the interior was in

warm brownish colours, looked luxurious and with good products. Also it´s a small space with no front wall – it´s really inviting people in.

• Inside there is well organised products, by prize, by type of the wine. In the eye level there is rather more expensive wines , on the bottom there is the most cheapest ones.

• The most expensive items are in the back part of the shop or in the highest shelves, not reachable from the ground.

• Sales items were in the front part of the shop, first things to see.

• What I was most disappointed from was the attitude of the saleswomen. There were two of them, I stayed tehre walking 5 minutes, they didn´t ask me, if they can advice and when I asked question the saleswoman gave me rude answer as I was stupid.

Supermarket

• Organised by the type of product.• A lot of people, wandering or with an aim.

Crowded, sometimes with bad smell.• Salesperson normally rude or not reachable,

with uniforms, young or middle-aged women mostly, but also men.

• Sales almost everywhere. The most expensive items with extra security devices. People can touch things, but not encouraged.

Batavia

• I really like this shop, cause it´s so homey, calm, relaxing music is playing in.

• There is one or two saleswomen mostly and very pleasant, always advice me with something.

• The products are organised a little bit messy, but I think it belongs to the character of the shop.