“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” Marilyn vos Savant INTRODUCTION I visited six stores in a commercial district near the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. The retail area is extensive, reflecting the buying power of a community of 35,000 plus students in walking distance of the location. I felt comfortable doing the assignment in all respects except one--taking photos inside the stores. I know from experience that many chain stores have policies in place that restrict photos inside their retail locations. That leaves only local stores, all with varying rules from place to place. In the end, I decided to just go ahead, play it by ear and trust my instincts. I focused on the assignment: insights, surprises and opportunities. This is what I observed.

CRASH COURSE IN CREATIVITY Jorge Gonzalez-Garcia Team 14103, jgg2525@gmail.com, October 31, 2012 Assignment Two: Are You Paying Attention?, Prof. Tina Seelig, Venture Lab, Stanford University

POSNER’S ART STORE This is an art supply store that has recently relocated to a more upscale retail location across from the main entrance to the university campus. It’s a small store, and the way it is organized seemed to suggest a work still in progress. The staff people who offered to help me were very amiable. I told them I was looking for a certain kind of pen. They didn’t have it, but they looked and looked. These are clerks who are happy just to have a part-time job that helps them earn a little money for basic student living expenses. The amount of inventory was small and scattered. This is not a business flush with cash. More like a marginal business determined to whether the storm, and hopefully make it to more prosperous times ahead. If Posner’s survives it will be in large part because the owners make sure to hire friendly, helpful staff. They clearly like being in an art supply store and interacting with customers involved with creative projects.

Crash Course in Creativity, pg. 2

 

CAMPUS ATHLETIC This is a store that caters to the sports fans of the university community. The shelves are filled with the red and blue clothing and accessories students like to buy to show their loyalty. There was only one staff person the day I visited. I offered her my shoulder bag to keep behind the counter as I went in. It occurred to me that this security policy was in place because of the lean staffing put in place by the owners. The shelves and tables were all well stocked, but I could not tell where the men’s section was in relation to the women’s section. This was the only store I visited that had a distinctive smell. It was a strong detergent odor, like you might find in a Laundromat. I’m pretty sure the clerk doesn’t even notice it anymore.

 

 LANDMARK MEN’S CLOTHING This is a men’s clothing store with a lot of history in this commercial area near the university. Located inside a large house built fifty or sixty years ago, the store is definitely showing its age. There are few men’s clothing stores left, even at the shopping malls. The large department stores have taken most of their business. The few that are left are all struggling and Landmark is no exception. There was only one staff person there when I arrived. He was an older gentleman seated at the front counter, and he was holding a small dog. He offered assistance in a hesitant kind of way. I looked around and saw a reasonable amount of inventory. At the same time, the carpeting was worn and the wood paneling was old and scratched. Everything seemed to be a bit old and musty. I thought to myself: this business is very much on its last legs. Maybe it will last another six months.

Crash Course in Creativity, pg. 3

URBAN OUTFITTERS This is hip clothing store located about a block from the university campus. The name suggests a kind of city edginess in style and inventory, and the interior does not disappoint. The floors are unfinished concrete, and some of the shelves are rough-hewn wood. This is retail operation that knows its customers, and the mix of clothing, shoes and accessories reflects that. There are men’s and women’s sections, with the women’s area taking up about three quarters of the space. A surprise was a small vintage consumer electronics section with items like record players and instant cameras using Polaroid type film. There was also a novelty gift and book section with a humorous theme running through it. For example, a book of foreign cuss words for the world traveler caught suddenly at a loss dealing with a rude cab driver.

 

 

 SCENTED LEAF TEA HOUSE This is the tea drinker’s answers to Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donut. One whole wall displayed open containers of loose teas from around the world. The small space was crowded with students and faculty from the university enjoying their afternoon tea and dessert. The owners must be betting on demand among tea drinkers for a café alternative given the 35,000 plus university population only a couple of blocks away. There was only one staff person, a young man in his mid-twenties. He had a line of customers waiting for their drinks, and another line of folks waiting to order. The store was well organized and nicely decorated, with a well-stocked refrigerator case with desserts and various flavors of cheesecake for those unable to resist the temptation. The menu selection included both tea and coffee drinks, perhaps in recognition that tea drinkers are still in the minority on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Crash Course in Creativity, pg. 4

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AMERICAN APPAREL This store is a smaller version of an Ambercrombie & Fitch. The space was not large, but fairly well stocked with clothing reflecting the tastes of young college students in the Southwest. A couple of staff people asked me if I needed help. They were both friendly and professional. The second one said that they also carried vintage items, and pointed to a selection of older style Casio watches. That was surprising, because the styles looked to be from the 80’s and 90’s. Also, it was to hard to tell where the men’s section left off and where the women’s section started. Apparently, the designers have decided that this bit of ambiguity is just fine with their clientele.  

 

    “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against those who play it safe, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” Cecil Hardy Beaton