Are You Paying Attention

Assignment 2- Prepared for the classA Crash Course in Creativity by

Neeraj Kulkarni

2

Goal: Paying Attention

Six Stores

Experiences – Insights & Opportunities

3

World MarketBackground

Offers wide variety of goods from across the world such as rugs, furniture, candles, dishes, plates and alcohol

Offers artistic and cultural accessories

Also famous for handmade and environmentally stable merchandise

Generally known as a cheaper option to “Pier One”

Generally found in a big shopping center in your city

4

World Market – What I Saw Open Door Policy

Outside Sale sign shows that furniture items are running currently at 25% discount

“Look and touch” aspect with clear labeling helps customers to access variety of products

“Global Bazaar” feel with bright colors and colorful displays and lighting through out the store

Point of sales clearly displays the new arrivals, current items on sales, popular products for the season, highly purchased products etc.

5

World Market – Insights/Opportunities From a task driven sales force to a

customer driven sales force- Sales reps were more busy

managing merchandise, putting things in place, carrying things than helping customers out

Theme centric rather than product centric” approach to sales

- Since most customers who shop here are “global curious”, an idea would to convert the shopping experience to themes like “Design your own Japanese Kitchen” or “African living room” with featured items together. Such creative selling approach can create unique cross/up-selling opportunities

6

Harris TeeterBackground

Supermarket chain with presence in Southern States

Started as a family run business

Though it started as a “working class” family store. Now it is generally perceived as a store appealing to higher income families

Famous for its VIC loyalty card and other loyalty card programs

“ Your Neighborhood food Market” is a prominent brand slogan along with the “My Harris Teeter” jingle

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Harris Teeter– What I Saw Open Door Policy

Brightly colored sleek floors with bright lighting, open spaces for walking/browsing and clear department signage

Branded departments like Fisherman’s market, Farmers market, Fresh Bread etc. which creates an experience of multiple store shopping within one store

Point of sales clearly displays the customer policies for returns, complaints, refunds etc. which improves brand trust and loyalty

8

Harris Teeter – Insights/Opportunities Harris Teeter needs to reinforce the

belief that it is truly a neighborhood food market

- It offers 10% discount to UVA students and employees in Charlottesville. However that sign is displayed on a small billboard on the side and needs to be creatively advertised at key places inside the store

Higher emphasis on organic and local produce support

Not sure if the Starbucks cafe adds any value to their “neighborhood” store image. They would be better served with local affiliations like “Shenandoah Joe” in Charlottesville and other places

9

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB)Background

National retail chain focusing on merchandise related to bed, bathroom, dining and kitchen

Nothing more to add… it is a boring store

10

BBB – What I Saw Strangely the entrance door is

placed on the side rather than at the center

Store floors and carpeting change randomly

The products are labeled and sales/discounts are clearly displayed.

- However the product arrangement and accessibility leaves a lot to be desired and often you need to turn sharp corners, bend or look way up to search for items

Customer representatives are somewhat helpful

11

BBB – Insights/Opportunities More aggressive online/e-commerce

focus- Integrating the offline and online shopping experience to provide convenience and variety

Inside the store, they should have more in-store TV ads which help customers see the value of the product and make the shopping decision easier.

Currently the BBB shopping experience and their brand image can be described as “BORING”. They need to bring some fun and exciting things associated with the brand like the “Space Shuttle Endeavor” stopping by near its LA store

12

Barnes & Noble(B&N)Background

Largest chain of book stores in the country

Widest selection of books, magazines and other publishing material under one roof

Traditionally a brick and mortar store model, it is now shifting to a strong digital network providing vast selection of books, magazines and DVD’s online

Recently also came out with Nook – its digital ebook reader

Biggest competitor - Amazon

13

Barnes & Noble– What I Saw Dark brown wooden door

entrance symbolize the traditional look and feel

Was delighted to be greeted with “Welcome to Barnes & Noble” greeting by the customer representative at the door

Aisles of books again provide the experience similar to a college library – especially when you see people squatting on the floor reading books

Well organized sections, knowledgeable staff and a coffee complete a great “Back in College” experience

14

Barnes & Noble– Insights/Opportunities Aggressive online, social and mobile

experience especially to the online, tech savvy millennials

Unlike the shopping process in Amazon, people can actually read(sample) a few pages/chapters in the store. This is a big advantage which enables the customers to be happy(loyal) and cuts down the returns. Needs to be highlighted in ads.

The café, collegial reading/learning atmosphere provides the intangible value of people re-living their college experience. Emphasize it!!

B&N does not advertise extensively its book clubs and in-store readings. But that is something Amazon cant really compete on and can create enormous social currency for B&N

15

Plow & HearthBackground

Major Retailer focusing on furniture, home furnishings, lawn and garden accessories

Famous for its hearth and fire place accessories

Traditionally a big player in catalogue and mail order sales, it is also getting more aggressive online

16

Plow & Hearth – What I Saw White doors, American flags on

certain products and traditional décor inside and outside the store

- warm colors emphasize the feeling of comfort and good living

Friendly customer service representatives

Cluttered floor space. You really need to be in a “Search and Discover” shopping mood here

People often sit outside in their rocker chairs, lounges and benches to relax which is a great promotional talking point

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Plow & Hearth – Insights/Opportunities Randomly kept furniture items makes a

difficult shopping experience especially when people are looking for convenience and orderly shopping experience (e.g. competitors like Crate and Barrel, IKEA, Pottery Barn)

Great collection for higher end comfort shoes – a big selling point and not commonly known or advertised much!!

18

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (BRMS)Background

High end Outdoor equipment retailer with regional foot print

Opened its first store in the city that I currently reside – Charlottesville, VA

11 select locations in VA, TN and NJ

Serves the performance needs for the local outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers

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BRMS – What I Saw Bright prominent signage, nice

floors and fancy displays definitely draw your attention from the outside

Big high performance brands like Patagonia, North face, Mountain Hardware, ArcTeryx etc. are available

Well lit, well laid-out, clear labeling associated with assurances of high performance, high quality products

Highly knowledgeable staff who will help you in product selection and share personal experiences

20

BRMS – Insights/Opportunities Actively manage the loyal community of

hikers, bikers, runners and music lovers which are great brand ambassadors of the store

- No loyalty card or a comprehensive email/social/mobile program to tap into the their loyal store customers and also attend their various music shows and events

Point of Sales leaves a lot to be desired with no reference to their new arrivals, featured products, discounted items or any brand communication related material