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C RA S H C O U R S E O N C R E AT I V I T Y

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Marlies Dekkers – Lingerie

1. I had been in this store a number of times with my wife and on at least one occasion on my own to buy a birthday present. On approaching the store this time I stood back to take in the whole experience and I was surprised at what I saw:

i. The door to the shop was open even though is was only a couple of degrees above freezing

ii. A red carpet led from outside the front door all the way through the shop

iii. Following the carpet automatically led you past the cash register and where the staff were congregated

iv. The lighting in the shop was bright at the front and darker towards the back distracting away for the manikins that were scantily dressed

v. Chic interior gave you a feeling of quality whilst not being intimidatingvi. The subtle logo’s on the door and windows said it all, The font is a

version of Roman not to big but big enough to show the name and for those who know the product this a a very well know brand among women

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Marlies Dekkers – Lingerie

2. How did the store make me feel:i. The red carpet was a great idea starting outside, once you had made

that step on to it you were sucked into the shop but somehow it felt right the transition from outside to in was very simple, remembering I’m a guy enter a truly women's domain

ii. The fact the carpet led you to the cash register and where the shop assistant was standing made the whole approach to the staff easier

iii. The use of colours and design gave the shop a very profession and chic finish again being a man this was less intimidating which in turn aloud one to relax.

3. Other Observations:i. Chic interior which oozed luxury and styleii. Warm red carpet on a beautiful dark oak floor, relatively high ceilings iii. Brightly lit with soft musiciv. Warm environment given that it was cold outside v. The walls were full of merchandise but nicely spaced showing off the

garments to there best effectvi. The smell of rich perfumevii. The cash register was in the middle of the store with a staff member

will to help and put you at ease

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Nespresso – Coffee

1. The Nespresso shop is one of my favorites. The interior design with floor to ceiling storage and an array of colour is cool and refreshing. The relaxing chairs and smell of fresh coffee invite you to stay giving in to that overwhelming urge to buy. I thought the store I visited had lots of appeal but to be honest not very welcoming from the outside:

i. I think the security person at the door was over the top and to make things worse he did not make the effort to open the door for anyone, as we say in England “a waist of space”

ii. Once inside however the whole experience changes the smell of coffee and staff welcoming you with a cup made you relax straight away a slip into this world of coffee

iii. The Chic interior sold the product, coffee machine and luxury seating seduced you into a good feeling, the hard wood floors and stark walls led your eyes to the all important focus wall where all the different coffees were stored.

iv. The use of colours for each brand of coffee had obviously been chosen carefully to represent the type/taste/smell of the coffee but it also lend itself to the interior design blending colours and materials like wood, glass and steel together.

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Nespresso – Coffee

2. How did the store make me feel:i. Relaxed, special and happy. The buzz of people talking and

drinking coffee all admiring the products and different blends sucked you into the whole Nespresso experience

3. Other Observations:

i. Again, Chic interior which oozed luxury and styleii. Very functional areas with lots of sales rep’s wanting to helpiii. Softly lit with light focused on the products, easy seating just

calling you to take the load off your feet and try the coffeeiv. Warm environment and a nice friendly buzz with people

enjoying them selvesv. The walls were full of merchandise but in such a way it

became all part of the designvi. The smell of hot coffeevii. The cash register on the far wall with the coffee product well

placed and separate for the coffee drinking area

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Zwathoed’s – Fish Monger

1. This is my favorite Fish Mongers. To be honest the shop has no curbside appeal what so ever. A dirty awning, very plain unattractive yellow signage and a total different look and feel to the more up market places like Nespresso.

i. Saying that … for the family run business its all about loyalty and quality.

ii. With over 84 years in the same family, Johan and Rene are third generation Volendam Boys (Volendam is a famous fishing community in Holland) for me they are the business

iii. One main counter with produce laid out from left to right: freshly cook fish, then home made item, then smoked and dried goods and then fresh fish

iv. I asked the guys why the food was laid out in a particular order to which there reply was that’s how its been for at least 75 years.

v. After more questions and hanging around in the shop for an hour it became obvious. All the customers knew exactly where the different items were, each customer knowing exactly where to stand in front of the long counter. It was great to see that the boys knew most times exactly what the customer wanted, loyalty working at its max

vi. A clean professional environment, simple and practical for cleaning, it was the staff that made all the difference

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Zwathoed’s – Fish Monger

2. How did the store make me feel:i. Aesthetically the store did not do anything to help my experience.

And whilst I understand that it is all about Johan and Rene (and Dad) the shop front could be made to look a little more attractive to induce new trade, those first time people walking by who don’t know how good the stuff is inside. Once your in the shop the whole experience changes and the friendly atmosphere and knowledge sweeps you off your feet.

ii. Grandfather Zwathoed’s picture is a reminder of the tradition

3. Other Observations:i. The store is a little dated and first impressions from outside could

put some people offii. The floor is tiled and whilst cold is there for a reason with hygiene

being the main concerniii. The lighting is adequate and the noise is the welcome buzz of

banter and good laughs with customers. Again the Boys make all the difference

iv. The store has ample produce on display with lots more available in cold storage at the back of the store

October 2

9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?OOG Brill– Opticians

1. Lots of curb side appeal, open door, nice bright interior and lots of space. Nice use of TV screens in the front window with eye catching videos. Front window shop displays that have been kept to a minimum not to block the view of the shop with is vast array of glasses

i. First impressions when you walk in are clean, sleek, stylish with a emphasis on trendy/vogue glasses.

ii. The layout of the shop draws you further into the store with different styles of glasses drawing you to the rear of the shop where the cash register and staff are located.

iii. The shop has a minimalistic feel focusing all the attention on the racks of glasses. Eye testing equipment is subtly located down stairs or at the rear of the shop leaving a nice open feel to the main viewing area

iv. Two small desks for the one on one consultations are located in the middle of the store each one with a dish of sweets (Knoopjes) bring that personal feeling into play when it matters

v. Two staff members both branding very funky glasses, the type that you and I would not dare to ware. This is a great idea as it goes to show what you can get away with and in fact all the different types I have seen them wearing has always made an impression

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?OOG Brill– Opticians

2. How did the store make me feel:i. Actually I like the store, with all the space it allowed you to

move around looking at all the choice. Strategically placed mirrors aloud you to try on the glasses at will and with staff at the end of the shop you did not feel intimidated. The bright appearance and clean lines allowed you to focus on looking in the mirrors without the distraction of furnishings.

3. Other Observations:

i. Nice and quite in the shop, this allowed you to focus on trying the glasses.

ii. The interior design was calming and allowed you to relax.iii. The store had a large selection of glasses all facing you on

shelves that we easy to approach unlike some places where you have these fan-dangled contraptions that you end up fighting with just to get the glasses off the stand

iv. The cash register was at the rear of the shop

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Jumbo– Supermarket

1. My local supermarket has recently been acquired by a new and upcoming brand called Jumbo. What a change, the store was recently closed for 6 weeks for a complete refurbishment. The old look and feel was rather dated and worn but now we have bright new look and feel with loud colours like Yellow, black with a splash of orange. With a large Logo on the front you can’t mistake this store from one of many in my area. With a new focus on diversity of choice and not just sheer quantity the shopper has a whole new experience. The addition of choice over quantity has a secondary impact that we now have fresher products due to the turnover.

i. First impressions when you walk in are so much better than the previous shop, bright, clean, well laid out with more space given to the fresh fruits/veg, deli and bakery. Better shelving for all the dried products and again much more choice.

ii. New refrigerated units with floor to ceiling doors allowing you to look more easily at the selection

iii. Better use of the area at the front of the shop expanding the tills from two to five with the use of three new much small tills to handle the busy times

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Jumbo– Supermarket

2. How did the store make me feel:

i. The Jumbo store now has a much more appealing feel, with a good use of space, modern refrigerated units and clean feel (all be it new). The store is constantly busy with staff staking the shelves, this was a good feeling as new produce was being put out all the time. One did not mind have to navigate around stackers as they were always helpful and the underlying thought the new food was hitting the shelves gave you a good feeling as to quality.

3. Other Observations:

i. The shop was noisy with the hubbub of shoppers, stackers and announcements going off all the time. This had a interesting impact that people were more focused and quicker in the selection.

ii. Nice bright white tiled floors and well lit ceilings gives the impression of clean and new

iii. The store had a nice smell of fresh baked bread which was ideally situated directly inside the main entrance

iv. Cash register obviously located by the front entrance for obvious reasons

v. Staff in uniform was great .. No embarrassing moments on who to ask questions to.

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Vroom & Dreesmann– Department Store

1. My least favorite experience for shopping. Whilst the brand V&D is well known to the Dutch population I found the whole experience visually and esthetically not pleasing. The whole look and feel is some what dated. The vast open spaces and eclectic mix of products sends your head into a spin just trying to find things. Very much a traditional store concept I felt that V&D had lost something in its approach. The store was filled to the top with products and you wandered from home furnishing to bathroom and back to kitchen without realising where the boundaries were between areas. Directions were limited and floor plans non existent.

i. First impressions when you walk in are “oh my god … where do I start” no staff, no signs I had to make my way to the escalator to find the first signage which only told me on what floor certain things were and with at least 3,000 meters per floor you would spend the rest of your time trying to find an assistant to get directions

ii. I also found that there was far to much on display to a point that you spent most of your time trying to circumnavigate around things just to get from a to b

iii. Due to the open plan the store was noisy and distracting, I also felt there was a lack of staff around with at least four of the five tills/service stations closed on one floor

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9, 2012

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ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?Jumbo– Supermarket

2. How did the store make me feel:i. The store was overwhelming, you felt as if you were lost at

sea, as if you were looking for a needle in a haystack. Intimidated to ask questions as if you were an alien from another planet.

3. Other Observations:

i. The shop was noisy with people pushing a shoving between the displays, small walking areas meant the people were invading others space which in turn ruined the whole shopping experience

ii. Nice bright white tiled floors and well lit ceilings were lost in an array of products.

iii. The store had an initial nice smell as you had to walk through the cosmetics area but after five minutes the mix of different perfume got noxious

iv. Cash registers scattered all over the place, no thought given to there located or not that you would recognise

v. Staff in uniforms, but conspicuous by there absence

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