Observation Lab

By: Jake Miller

Outside the store-• Simple, straightforward outward appearance.• Windows do not have too many advertisements.• Although plain; the storefront lettering is large and easy

to see from the road.

Environment-• The store is simple inside and has plain white walls and

dark gray carpet. • The aisles are wide with and the merchandise is well

organized. • Very quiet environment and you can only hear the sound

of printers and copy machines.• The cash register is placed within a small aisle which

appears to be strategically placed to promote impulse buys.

• Since it is a business supply store, I feel the simple environment fits the merchandise being sold.

Personnel- • During the 20 minutes I was walking around the store, I was

never asked if I needed any help from an employee.• At the front of the store there were plenty of sales people which

seemed unusual for a Monday morning.• The younger sales people were dressed in matching uniforms

which was fitting to the store environment.• Products-• The first product I noticed was the large display of back to school

items scattered around the store.• Products are organized by function in a well stocked manor.Customers-• A majority of the customers were alone and many of them were

well dressed in formal business attire.• It is quite interesting that numerous customers knew exactly

what they were coming for. The majority of the people I saw quickly grabbed a few items and checked out.

Outside the store-• The colorful logo is very attractive and catchy to the

eye of the public. • Compared to Officemax, Petsmart has a more

appealing outward appearance.Environment-• Walking in the store I first noticed a unique smell that

was similar to cardboard. It was not overpowering or unpleasant; which others may expect at a pet store.

• I noticed how pet friendly the store is. • Ex. The store provides free dog treats at the cash

register for customers who bring a pet with them.

Personnel-• Right when I entered the store I was approached by a young sales rep

and was asked if “I needed help finding anything”?Products- • There were a wide selection of dog treats and I never noticed that

they had the option of buying dog treats by weight. This allows the customers to pick a variety of dog treats and bag them themselves.

• The products are organized by type of Animal. The aisles are full with items and sometimes may even appear to be cluttered.

Customers-• The few customers that I saw had their dogs with them and the

majority of the customers were female and appeared to be older. • The customers seemed to be laid back and took their time to browse

the store.• Seeing that all the customers brought there pets into the store made

me realize that having a store catering to the customers is an opportunity that could be applied to other business models.

Outside the store-• I felt the store had an attractive appearance with a crafty

logo and colorful window advertisements on the front window.

• With the slogan under the name “the arts and crafts store”, it was very clear what type of store I was walking into.

Environment-• I was surprised to see Fall and Halloween decorations in the

front of the store in the middle of the Summer.• Walking into the store I noticed how cluttered the store is

with merchandise. It appears that every aisle is completely filled.

• The cluttered environment fits the idea of the business and gives off a “Do it yourself” vibe

• There are also various displays of finished projects throughout the store.

Personnel-• The store was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning and I was

never asked if I needed help. • The sales people seemed to be in their mid 30s. They appeared

to be very busy as a line was forming at the front.

Products-• I noticed that they placed the seasonal items in the front of the

store and in the middle of the aisles. (see picture).• During previous trips to Michaels I had not noticed how hard it

was to find certain items. Looking around it was not exactly clear to me just how the products were arranged.

• Seeing how the store lacked organization made me realize that it is sometimes alright to have a disorganized store. It seemed to fit the atmosphere of being creative.

Customers- Being a craft store, a majority of the customers were female. They seemed to be taking their time browsing for new ideas. I found it interesting that every customer I saw had a cart full of

items.

Outside the store-• Outside, the store looks inviting with a clean and

colorful building.• Compared to other coffee shops I feel the

appearance puts off a fun vibe. Environment-• Like every other time I have been to Dutch Bros, I

am always greeted by a young and sociable employee.

• As I was walking up I could hear the sound of techno music. As I got closer I was surprised just how loud the music was inside the store. All the employees seemed to be enjoying the music as they were all singing along.

Personnel-• Immediately after walking up, I was greeted asking what I would

like to order. • The employees were very friendly as they asked “how my day

was going”. • The employees were all young and dressed in causal clothes.• The way they were dressed fit the laid back chill environment of

the coffee shop.Products-• Looking over there menu I was surprised to see that it only

consisted of around 15 different items. Compared to other coffee shops I have been to Dutch Bros is very simple.

Customers-• All the customers were young adults. Some would stay and hang

out after they got their coffee while others would quickly leave.Other observations-• Seeing that a coffee place can be successful by marketing

towards a certain age group I have been given a real world example of how a business can thrive by finding its own personal niche in a in a dustry overrun by huge companies.

Outside the store-• Walking up to the store, it looks to have

an elegant appearance. I felt as if I was going to receive a very high end product.

Environment-• The same high end elegant feel was also

present inside the store. • The environment was quite with people

staring at phones or laptops.• They had a wide range of comfortable

seating. From the high end leather chairs I got the feeling that the lobby of the store was designed for guest to stay a long period of time.

Personnel-• As I walked up to the counter I was instantly greeted

by a young female. All the employees were dressed in matching uniforms and maintained a professional attitude at all times.

Products-• Looking at all the products, I was amazed by just how

many different items they carry. Within the menu they advertise countless options to customize your coffee. (This was far different from Dutch Bros)

Customers-• The customers all seem to be around there mid-

forties. It was interesting that a majority of the customers had appeared to come to Starbucks to work. This pointed out the opportunity to me that if you design a comfortable place for customers to gather, they will stay and purchase multiple items from the store.

Outside the store-• The store looked very inviting .• It had a modern feel with a giant logo that

could easily be seen from the street.

Environment-• Entering the store a security guard was

standing at the entrance. This gave the store a hostile feel

Personnel-• With the store being busy I was never

approached for help by an employee. • I found it interesting that there was not a

typical age of employee working. There were all age groups of employees working the cash registers.

Products-• As I first walked in, the first product section I saw

was a little food court. • The placement of the food court seemed to be

designed around catching peoples attention as they walk into the store. Before this observation, I had not noticed how effective this was. Countless parents would buy there children drinks and popcorn as they passed by.

Customers-• It was interesting to see just how many families

there were through out the store. A majority of the customers had at least one kid with them.

• It was also common for each customer to have a cart full of various items.