paying attention lab
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STANFORD UNIVERSITY CREATIVITY COURSEON-LINESIX RETAIL OUTLETS IN EDMONTON AB CANADA
PAYING ATTENTION – ARE YOU?A. Hardin
Retail Outlet Summary
• Bigbox Supermarket
• Bigbox Automotive
• Medium Sized Drug Mart
• Health Food Outlet
• Bigbox Book Store
• Bigbox IT Outlet
Bigbox Supermarket
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Huge monolithic single-colour building
• Exterior bulk marketing bins
• One-way Automated exit doors on the left
• Width of parking stalls too narrow
• Massive parking lot – congestion in parking lanes
• Exterior carte storage contributes to congestion
• No designated drop-off / pick-up close to entry / exit
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Exterior walls provide opportunity for fixed or seasonal murals
• Improve exterior seasonal markets to improve visibility and access
• Widen parking stalls
• Increase width of parking lanes
• Separate carte storage and parking
• Provide designated drop-off / pickup areas
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Colour scheme is very bland and uninviting both outside and inside – clean
• Ceiling is about 2x as high as needed
• Somewhat noisy with no music and only periodic PA announcements
• Lighting is very good in all areas
• Temperature inside is comfort-able
• Large bank of cashiers across whole left front of building / Aisles at entry to cashiers is often very crowded and congested
• Produce and bulk food areas - floors are often quite dirty
• Floors are tile on concrete
• There is no distinctive unpleasant odor / nor a pleasant one – neutral
• Security is visible at entry and exit
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Use a warmer more comforting colour scheme
• Ceiling could be reduced but not too much to avoid increasing noise levels
• Noise – use sound deadening panels on walls and as decorative hang-down panels
• Increase spacing between start of cashier bays and end of display counter rows
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Cashiers generally friendly when spoken to but not very warm in welcoming each customer,
• No script apparent• Floor staff generally non-
communicative and not warm in responding to questions
• The ratio of visible staff to customers is about 50::1
• There is a disproportionate number of Asian immigrants
• Staff are primarily women
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Train the cashiers to use eye contact and a more friendly greeting / parting script
• Floor staff are too task oriented, provide training an standard for customer contact
• Staff to customer ratio is about right, could use more in some high demand areas
• Hire staff equitably in terms of salaries and local population make-up
Products
INSIGHTS• First products - manufactured or produce
specials localized at entry• Sale items are Id’d by coloured mark-
down tags throughout• Products Arranged by function / sub-
function / manufacturer• Free samples / demonstrations on special
occasions / seasonal• There is no clear pattern in products set at
eye level• Meats and Dairy products are the least
accessible in terms of distance from entry• Most Expensive located nearest high
traffic areas and least expensive in middle of isles
• Many Impulse items at entry to cashier station
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Reduce clutter at entry and provide better long-range view into store
• Increased visibility of sale items to speed close-out of residual / sale products
• Re-examine product shelving strategy
• Make product locations easier to identify
Customers
INSIGHTS
• Majority of customer, 50%+ are shopping alone
• Remainder are shopping with spouse or children
• Approximately 30% men and 70% women• Yes, same path and directions as part of
the store design, mainly towards clothing, toiletries, over-the-counter drugstore area
• Average shopping time est. 30 – 45 minutes
• Customers do touch and pick up products and it is not discouraged
• Most Customers are mission shopping• About 95% of shoppers buy 1 or more
products, usually much more
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Improve eye-contact and verbal communication from staff to customers
• Hire more staff who have good English communications skills
• Improve customer space and ease of movements
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• This chain of stores seems too oriented towards throughput and not enough to customer satisfaction
• The chain is too oriented to functionality and not enough to the ‘pleasure of shopping’
• Uncleanliness may lead to customer illnesses and store shut-downs or reputation loss
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Increase customer satisfaction while maintaining throughput
• Better quality control around cleanliness standards and management
Outlet Summary
INSIGHTS
• A destination shopping centre for people seeking price over shopping experience
• Prices are generally very good and quality of items is mostly satisfactory
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Work on improved customer shopping enjoyment
Bigbox Automotive
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Bright inviting exterior with good but simple graphic arts approach
• Main Company logo in large, about 3 ft. high, letters in simple font design
• Range of products display in horizontal ‘wordle’ type design – very effective
• Welcoming, uninhibited main entry and exit
• Small, somewhat restricted entry to auto repair area
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
•
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Colour scheme is maple leaf red on a slight off-white background.
• Graphics look appealing and inviting• Floor - tile on concrete / functional, clean.• Moderate height, no feeling of a cavern.• Pleasantly bright and not too noisy.• Over-crowded - too much merchandise• Comfortable temperature no odor• There are two types of check-out, self
checkout and cashier near main entry exit.• There is no visible human security• Crowdedness doesn’t invite long stays.• The merchandise is devalued by the
crowded appearance.
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Concern or awareness of the need for customer safety and well being may not be as high as it should be.
• Maintain more merchandise in off-site storage
• More spacing between shelving units to allow better view of merchandise
• Improve staff contact with customers
• Improve directional signage at entry to speed customer reaching targets products
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Staff contact with customers outside of Auto-motive are is very poor / customer initiated
• No Script• Asian immigrant staff have
arrogant attitude towards non-Asians
• Staff provide good information when questioned.
• Automotive staff friendly, scripted and helpful
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Improve welcoming by stationing employee at entrance to welcome and direct and make customers aware of specials
• Provide all staff with cultural awareness training
Products
INSIGHTS
• Products offered cover a wide range of prices and qualities, perhaps too many
• Sale items generally located within their product zone
• Products are arranged by function and then by manufacturer
• Least accessible are home-handyman and sporting goods
• Most accessible are seasonal goods
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Decrease number of competing products and improve ease of finding desired products
• Place high-value sale items close to entry/exit areas
• Place high-demand seasonal items farther from Entrance – customers more willing to search them out
Customers
INSIGHTS
• Customers are mainly men with strong do it yourself abilities and skills and interests in sports and wilderness activities
• Second tier customers are families with homes and children looking for mid-ranged price products
• 15-20 minutes in-store• Yes Products are mostly
reachable by customers and they do touch and examine
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Change marketing to appeal more to young adults with cash and interests in cars, sports and wilderness
• Improve customer satisfaction by increasing ease of finding desired products
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• Main-stay of business was automotive after-sales parts and consumable supplies
• Strategy has shifted to broader range of DIY, sorts and outdoor interests
• Mainly male oriented• Some Franchisees may
damage brand name
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Franchise holder / owner should pay more attention to brand management
• Consider use of evolutionary algorithms for product development strategy
Medium Sized Drug Mart
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Parking is good• Access is good• Colour scheme and
presentation of brand name is good / very simple
• Brand name is too high up to catch distant customers
• Font all Caps, simple std, about 4 ft. high Blue on White
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Add additional brand naming at eye level near parking areas.
• Entry is too flat, provide inset alcove to make people feel included
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Excellent lighting overall, subdued in multi-media area
• Aisles with lots of room to view merchandise and giving feeling of space, no crowding
• Ceiling very high but width and depth compensate by being ‘more human’
• No music and noise level acceptable
• Merchandise is not too crowded and selection of products adequate
• Cash registers / check-outs at the front
• Slight odor of hygiene products
• No visible human security but awareness of ‘security shoppers’
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• IT products area too cluttered, reduce range of products
• Add seasonal music and general soothing music
• Improve ‘at entry’ directional information
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Staff are very friendly and work to an adaptable script
• Immediate help when asked• Knowledgeable of products
and locations• Ask if added help needed
without prompting• Smiles and confident, happy• Ratio staff to customers about
1::10 when I was there mid-afternoon
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Had a question in the IT area and no one was around – add a customer is here awareness tool?
Products
INSIGHTS
• Good range of products covering all the main personal hygiene and grooming needs as well as compatible products in office and media areas.
• Some product ranges perhaps too narrow in competitors ranges.
• IT and Media area too cluttered
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Provide an opportunity for customers to easily make suggestions for added products to be considered.
• Narrow the range of IT and Media products
Customers
INSIGHTS
• On this day there were few customers and they seemed to be mostly men.
• Normally the customer base is women in the hygiene and grooming area and men in the media and IT areas,
• Customer demographics are in the 30 – 75 age range.
• This is not a youth centered outlet.
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Bus in Seniors from seniors residences
• Find draws for higher customers base throughout the day – media and IT marketing
• Get into the “apps” business on the IT/Media side.
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• Not aware of web based ads for this org
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Move some advertising funds to web based advertising
Outlet Summary
INSIGHTS
• An excellent and enjoyable place to shop.
• Becoming complacent?
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Room for growth through web.
• Apply evolutionary algorithms for development strategy
Health Food Outlet
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Small sized facility• Appearance generally ok
but not strong attractor• Does not generate
confidence
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Provide more space for display and customer browsing
• Use bolder outside and inside branding
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Very large range of products and some what cluttered
• Choices not always clear• Clean and not noisy• Displays too close to each
other and functional separation not clear
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Improve display organization by function and type with improved descriptions
• More space
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Well presented• Not working to script• General level of
friendliness not clear• Knowledgeable of products
and processes• Efficient• Task oriented
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Work on public / customer interaction skills through training
• Better staff selection processes to seek out customer focused staff
Products
INSIGHTS
• Wide ranges of products mainly in low volume packaging
• Confusing selection process for poorly informed customers
• Visible external movement of possibly contaminated products through back doors
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• On-floor assistance for customers
• Standards for receipt / dispatch of raw materials and products
Customers
INSIGHTS
• People with awareness or interests in making better choices in foods
• Generally reasonably affluent and well educated
• Not always well informed on health-food products
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Provide educational group seminars and individual coaching
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• Health food outlets do not, in general, instill confidence in new customers
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Work on credibility through improved branding tools
Bigbox Book Store
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Modern brown brick façade• Covered entry with small
inner foyer• Large windows across
outer wall to left of entry giving good view of open layout of shelves and displays
• Left side of building has entry to an up-scale coffee shop
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Use of ‘wordle’ type listing of main headings of products and wares would add to inviting exterior presence
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Bright well-lit single room space
• Top of displays at about 5.5 ft.
• Well-spaced allowing browsing / people
• Partially carpeted floors to reduce noise
• Colours are off-white, shelving is dark brown
• Quiet conducive to reading / browsing
• A lot of products displayed no feeling of crowdedness
• Cashier bank - right of entry, no obstruction to entry/exit
• No human security but magnetic detector at exit
• Electronic search self-help stations available
• Inviting to stay for 30 minutes+
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• More seating for longer duration browsers
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Knowledgably, friendly, helpful• Respond quickly to requests• Ratio staff to customers about
1::10• Staff are mainly female in range of
20-50 years old• Floor staff attend to products and
customers• Check-out line periodically gets
quite long - staff respond / adapt• Staff are a very good match to
brand
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Perhaps room for small staff reduction
Products
INSIGHTS
• Hard cover, magazines, paper prods.
• Dedicated Children’s area
• Seating / coffee area at boundary
between store and coffee shop with fire-
place
• Separate Non-fiction / fiction / self-help
areas
• Comprehensive range of products
• Dedicated new products at entry
• Reduced sale items displays between
coffee shop and main displays
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Add at-entry directional signage
• Need to move to electronic reader products – hardware, software, publications
Customers
INSIGHTS
• Customers enter store mostly alone
• Couples and larger split up for individual browsing and shopping
• Secure children’s area• Customers are an even mix
of males and females• Demographics are primarily
in the 30 years+ range
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Provide products that attract the young affluent age groups
• More child centered activities
• Provide book club meeting centre
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• Hardcopy books are under a lot of pressure from electronic media
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Need to move to electronic based media, products and services
Outlet Summary
INSIGHTS
• An excellent, warm, friendly and current shopping environment and experience
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Need to be rapidly moving towards greater emphasis on e-media
• What role might evolutionary algorithms play in this business industry?
• Would evolutionary innovation algorithms help here?
Bigbox IT / MEDIA Outlet
Before Entry
INSIGHTS
• Large standard font name in red caps on 3-storey high blue wall.
• Entry is simple with exit separated
• Covered foyer• Techie service labeled
separately
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Use of ;wordle’ style horizontal panel would add to product slate awareness
• Add a panel that invites older non-techy people in
Environment
INSIGHTS
• Lots of open space at the entry
• Long sight-lines to ID products of interest
• Get to general area quickly but detailed area more difficult
• Subdued atmosphere, clean, very techie
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Aisles radiating out from front entry
• More signage at detailed level
• Us aps to direct customers via in-store GPS
Personnel
INSIGHTS
• Standard uniforms• Generally friendly and
seeking to help• Knowledgeable• Sought out better price for
application product for me• Provided simple service at
no cost
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Route to cashiers not fully obvious – label better
Products
INSIGHTS
• Good range of products, not overwhelming in number or function
• Well presented, easy to browse
• Some cross-product distractions
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Provide better product selection criteria for the non-techie
Customers
INSIGHTS
• Mainly males in the range of 18-30
• Technologically aware• Ratio of staff to customers
in normal sales periods about 1::10
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
• Increase customer base by providing free training and product awareness for non-techies in the 40+ age group
• Include free at-home support for older people.
Other Observations
INSIGHTS
• Facility too large for sales volumes?
HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
•
Outlet Summary
INSIGHTS
• Popular with market segment and seen as the place to go to for IT and media products.
•
OVERALL SUMMARY
• There is room for more traditional outlets to use Aps and IT tools to increase customer satisfaction
• Introduce evolutionary product algorithms
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