GRAND RABBIT TOY STORE & PIER 1 IMPORTS Grand Rabbit Toy Store: • Nothing about the story pulls you in except for

the term “Toy Store” • Interior affect wants to engage kids in

playing…number of toys overwhelming, but more appealing than big box stores.

• Colors and ambience helped calm customers. Pier 1: • Smelled like festivities were afoot when

entering. • Party environment throughout store – enticing

customers with ideas for decorating. • Mostly women customers, with women

clerks…similar interests and sharing personal family stories.

TARGET & HOBBY LOBBY Target:

• Nothing specific draws you in, but people who come in for a particular item become browsers.

• Feeling of they have something for every need.

• Family oriented.

Hobby Lobby:

• Building seems irrelevant to the merchandise…keeps focused on what’s for sale.

• Hobby enthusiasts enter and may browse, but most seem to be on a mission.

• Most people that enter do purchase something.

SAFEWAY & KOHL’S

Safeway:

• The only store visited that had the door open to invite people in.

• Recently renovated to appear more upscale and inviting.

• Changed color scheme from dreary neutral colors, to upgraded grays and improved floor quality in certain areas.

• Focused lighting to target items or environment.

Kohl’s:

• Ceilings between 12-14’ to keep focus on clothes, not building.

• Quiet, somber feeling.

• Pricing strategy different in that every item has a price tag, but is also on “sale” at a reduced rate that needs to be looked up on a sign…promotes the feeling that you’re getting a good deal.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

• The most fun store to visit was Pier 1…you felt like celebrating through the creative way the products were demonstrated, the spicy smells, and the holiday theme.

• The process of looking for the product price at Kohl’s created a sense of getting a good deal, whereas the other stores had certain items for sale.

• The stores that were more family oriented (Target, Safeway, Kohl’s) were set up to be more mission oriented, with hopes to get browsing, whereas the other stores facilitated browsing immediately.

• The employees at the browsing stores (Toy Store, Pier 1) were very instrumental to sales performance. The Pier 1 employees were very engaging and everyone made purchases. The toy store had disengaged employees and were considerably older than the customers with much fewer sales.