24 HR Fitness• The entry is designed to create a

convention “drive on the right” traffic flow

• The tilted letters and swoops instill a sense of movement

• The least intimidating machines are put up near the front (elliptical, treadmills)

• The machines are all grouped by type – legs, abs, arms, etc. This makes circuit training difficult, but spreads people out throughout the area

• The insulation is spray on foam. Must be the cheapest

• Music is playing outside too. This to me is intimidating, that combined with the closed doors.

Safeway• The store has VERY large, readable fonts.• It’s not particularly easy to enter. Once

entering you are immediately bombarded with either a Starbucks, or flowers, depending on entrance.

• Music is playing the store. It seems to usually be adult contemporary. I’m sure they don’t want anyone offended.

• Items that people go to the store often for are in the very back. Milk, eggs, fresh meat, and the pharmacy all seem to be placed so you walk through the store to get there. This way people buy things on the way

• Of course, the cheap impulse-buy items are placed where you wait in line

• Common fonts and colors are used throughout the store, and give it a refined, more expensive look. The colors are darker browns and such, more reminiscent of nice wood rather than just shelves of food.

• The slowest checkers seem to be positioned at the express lanes. This makes sense – especially so new employees don’t get overwhelmed.

Therapy• The doors are open, and the ceilings are

high. It gives a very spacious and inviting atmosphere

• The actual sign of the store is easy to miss amid the myriad of clutter

• The disorganized feel of the store adds to the quirkiness of the wares, but adds interest. It becomes a place you want to explore.

• The register is located at about the middle of the store, on the side. This means you have to walk through the store to buy things. It also creates a division – the second half of the store seems less designed for “walk ins,” and is more oriented towards women and clothing it seems.

• In my time there nobody came up to inquire if I needed help

• I stayed in the store about 15 minutes. At first I felt like buying a lot of the items, as they seem pretty unique and interesting. However, after further thinking I realized none of it was actually stuff I needed.

• Most customers seem to be perusing as well, probably for gifts or such.

Books Inc.• The door is open and the store instantly

feels very accessible. Once entering it has a very charming feeling with high ceilings, and nice rows of books

• There are kiosks of books to draw you in, and are organized by different categories

• One of the categories is the “staff picks,” which is slightly further into the store.

• Most people in the store seem to just be exploring, maybe flipping through a few books, but not actually buying anything.

• The cash register is up near the entrance, but is off to the side, creating a nice loop that the customer can walk in as they go through the store.

• In my time there I wasn’t approached by any staff for help or anything like that. I think it would have helped, knowing other’s recommendations and such.

Book Buyers• This store instantly feels claustrophobic to

me. There are books stacked in every possible direction, and the isles are all very close together. If anything it feels like a fire hazard waiting to happen.

• The floor is also comprised of cheap mats, which add to a second-hand feeling about the store.

• The smells are that of old books – not necessarily a bad small, but definitely one of slight mustiness that one would expect.

• As I walked around the store I realized the flow of the store was not particularly good. I didn’t know where anything was, or where sections began and ended.

• I was not approached while in the store, but it may have been helpful considering how many books they stocked.

• “New” items were staged around the registers. Items like calendars, book marks, and cards were all present.

• The furniture also all seemed pieced together and mismatched, which I think detracted from the perceived value of the store and its wares.

Red Rock Cafe• The front door here was not open, however

it still presented an intriguing atmosphere that made want to enter.

• Upon entering the doorway area seems a little crowded. However, this small space yields to a larger room with high ceilings, with a register in the far corner. The openness pulled me in, as well as the scent of roasted coffee.

• Lining the wall was a long booth of seating, with a few people on their laptops, coding or something similar.

• I noticed that surrounding the register was all the rest of the things you could buy – that is, they weren’t scattered about. They were all within eyesight of the register.

• The menu its self seemed sparse and uninteresting. Maybe the assumption is that everyone knows how they like their coffee prepared? This was the first time I noticed that Red Rock doesn’t have any of their own “signature” beverages or anything like that.

• The atmosphere was a bit noisy, with the sounds of chatter and grinding coffee, but if anything it helped add to the atmosphere