Shopping is an essential part of modern-day Western world life. It is how we obtain processed resources to live, not only in comfort, but also the basic requirements. Stores provide these resources for us to purchase. Today it is very common for us to go the local superstore and walk through the aisles and grab products and place them in the cart. At a time in history it wasn’t like that. Patrons were assisted by a clerk who stood behind a counter where products were kept. As shopping has changed and will continue to change, showing the contrast helps inform consumers and retailers the challenges. This essay will focus on the development of self-service, gendered shopping, through a literature review of Sharon Zukin, Paul du Gay and …show more content…
I had the luxury of following my neighbor to the mall because she needed teacher clothes. We only went into smaller stores instead of large department stores such as JC Penny or Kohls. She was looking for a strict style of clothing that served a dual purpose of conservative teacher and casual wear, which accounts for why we only visited specific stores. Each store had a very standardized way of promoting its atmosphere. All stores had fluorescent lighting and spotlighting on certain items, primarily more expensive and seasonal items. Stores tried to create a place where it was comfortable for people to walk in and browse with very little pressure from the sales team. My neighbor focused on everything but teacher clothes at first. She went looking for dresses and summer clothes instead. I later discussed with her why she looked at dresses. She said, “I don’t know, I like them. I mean it’s almost spring and I can’t wait to wear them, plus they were on sale” (Field note, March 5th, 2011). My initial thought was that she was using the premise of teacher clothes shopping as a cover. What she really wanted to do was shop for leisure, not for intended purpose. The main trend here is that she was allowed to go about freely with little or no interest from the employees. This could explain the …show more content…
When we entered the store she was asked by an employee why she came to the store. My neighbor responded, by saying she needed clothes for student teaching (Field note, March 5, 2011). While in the dressing room an employee came to her stall and gave her about five or so items, including dresses, pants, and shirts that could be deemed appropriate for teacher attire. My neighbor thought that was very peculiar, and was kind of uncomfortable about that, even though she thought the employee was just being helpful. She felt that the sales member was kind of pushy, and made her feel awkward. We talked about why she felt awkward after we left the store. To summarize, she didn’t want the extra clothes to try on because of the hassle of changing multiple times, and because she then felt obligated to do so. Stores want you to purchase every time you visit, but employees don’t seem to mind that people leave without a purchase. Creating a friendly, inviting feel is most crucial for consumers to return, not pressuring or making you feel awkward when you walk out without something helps ensure that feeling. Mall shopping is more about traffic volume and not about a sale on each person’s
Macy’s intended to deliver enhanced shopping experiences to its consumers through dynamic department stores and online sites. In this regard, the company developed a North Star strategy that allows it to improve its sales growth and to develop its existing core activities. The company’s consumer research monitors, analyze and anticipate their needs and wants based on the changing market trends. This allows it to strengthen its customer base and also helps it in identifying new markets and customers. Macy’s also identifies different styles and designs based on various occasions and events that allow it to capture the changing preferences of its customers. The company also celebrates various iconic events to interact with its customers which
Over the years, the American department store has developed and evolved as not only a commercial business but also a cultural institution. While it has weathered many storms and changes since its inception and throughout history, its most predominant enemy has been a change in the lifestyle of the American people (Whitaker, 2013). As the customer’s needs and wants have shifted, department stores have struggled to keep up with demands. It has been argued that the decline of the department store has been ongoing for the last 50 years (Whitaker, 2013). This dissertation aims to understand how the department store has historically played a role in consumer culture and spending, and additionally, how this has evolved and changed in today’s retail market. Although department stores may not be able to take all the credit for inventing modern shopping, they certainly made its conventions and conveniences commonplace. They set a new standard for the way the consumer should expect to be treated, the type of services that should be provided, and the convenience that should attend the process of acquiring the necessities and niceties of life all in one place. They made shopping into a leisure pastime. This environment meant shopping was a means of freedom to look around, pick up objects with no obligations to buy. As one historian remarked, department stores: “encouraged a perception of the building as a public place, where consumption itself was almost incidental to the delights of a sheltered promenade in a densely crowded, middle-class urban space” (Whitaker, 2006). Although this perception and view of the department store has changed over the years, this paper aims to follow the trail of how and why that happened.
Companies realize what people need and they take it as sources to produce commodities. However, companies which have famous brands try to get people’s attention by developing their products. Because there are several options available of commodities, people might be in a dilemma to choose what product they looking for. In fact, that dilemma is not real, it is just what people want. That is what Steve McKevitt claims in his article “Everything Now”. When people go shopping there are limitless choices of one product made by different companies, all choices of this product basically do the same thing, but what makes them different is the brand’s name. Companies with brands are trying to get their consumers by presenting their commodities in ways which let people feel impressed, and that are some things they need to buy. This is what Anne Norton discussed in her article “The Signs of Shopping”. People are often deceived by some famous brands, which they will buy as useless commodities to feel they are distinctive.
Paco Underhill has created a way for stores to draw more customers in and spend more money by getting in the mind of the customers. I found some of Underhill’s theories to be true. Underhill’s theories have helped provide research of the actions of consumers inside of American Eagle, Meijer and Hollister, these theories include, the need for shoppers to acclimate to their surroundings, the way customers turn into stores, and by placing most used products in the farthest places away from the
Starting the day right after Thanksgiving, everybody’s mind is set on one thing: Shopping. People young and old wake up early in the morning to start their holiday shopping. Everyone is looking for the perfect gift for their family and friends. But nobody cares to think of what the employees at their favorite stores think and feel. Shoppers just come inside and turn the store upside down.
First, when shopping, a big factor that will impact a customer 's experience is the customer service. Whether it’s from a simple “hello”, or an employee going out
I walked into the front of the store to see a crowd of people searching for a good grocery cart. One that wouldn’t wobble every second that you pushed it. I took a look at many of the faces as they were beginning or ending their shopping experience. The people walking in looking for a cart seemed unsure or not pleased to be there in the first place. While the people leaving looked happy and eager to get home. I took this as a clear sign that this was not the most enjoyable place to ...
The data have shown customers’ interest; the retailers can serve their customers more effective when they know what their customer want. The product will catch customers’ attention because they know where exactly to put it. That lead to more product being sales and more money being generated. According to the video “How store track your shopping behavior”, from the study of men’s habit of shopping, they know how to get men pay attention to their products. They change it up a little bit and get a really interesting result:”85% increase in product touch, 44% increase in sales, and 38% increase in dollar sales”; that is huge increase numbers. That number show how impactful the study effects their business performances. It is the result of understanding their customers’ need and desire. The ultimate goal is to increase product sales. They have to depend on the customer to reach that goal. Making the customer feel comfortable and encourage them to buy more goods is a process toward that
My first observation exercise was at the shopping arena. The shoppers tended to move in groups and were more concerned with the needs of their groups. The children however socialized in between groups prompting uncomfortable apologies and new friendships. The workers' age seemed to be distributed from as low as 18 to the mid-60s. Races were diverse ranging from Hispanic to Caucasian to Africans and Asians. The mall was female dominant though there were males present. The staff at most of the stores had on casual clothing, seeming happy and patient with the children and impatient customers. They also knew each other without having to look at their name tags and I did not observe any tension amongst the workers.
The most significant component of Wal-Mart’s success was the way it treated its employees or as they are known as in Wal-Mart “associates”, the beliefs or rules of the Wal-Mart culture makes associates want to provide excellent service to its customers. During visits Walton encouraged associates to pledge to greet customers and ask if they assist them or walking into a Wal-Mart store customers are met by a greeter, an associate who welcomed them and handed out shopping carts (Farhoomand, 2006).
Overall, the malls promote a sense of superficiality, a need to acquire goods for social acceptance, and an emphasis on artificial happiness. Though they began with innocent intentions, the sinister effects of changing societal values has left us in a jeopardizing situation. Our shallow "needs" for consumer goods have weakened society and compromised our position as a close community.
This study expanded on previous research because it analyzed how the sex of a grocery shopper affected shopping behavior. The study also differed from previous research because it was a naturalistic observation as opposed to a survey and it analyzed how the bag type affected the grocery shopping behavior. Consistent with previous research, it was hypothesized that women would use more bags than men. Additionally, it was hypothesized that people with plastic bags would have a higher quantity of bags than people with reusable
The Internet is rapidly becoming widespread and widely used as a tool for globalization across the world. As the Internet became more easily accessible by most people in the world, the web is bringing significant implications and changes to the way we live, including the way we shop. There is a rapid growth with e-commerce and moving businesses onto the web and retail success is no longer about stores and shopping centers. In developed countries, about two thirds of the population have access to the Internet making the option of online shopping is easily accessible to most people (Valerio). With the ease of shopping in your own home there are many benefits of doing your shopping online. Consumers can easily compare prices online, there is a larger range of products on the web, you can save time by having your shopping delivered right to your doorstep and it also overcomes physical barriers. Over the last decade online shopping has challenged and replaced the traditional means of physically going into shops as the digital world has provided customers with further convenience, flexibility and comfort from shopping from your own home.
When comparing two different ways of shopping most people do not even think about, they do both and not even realize it. In today?s society people shop while at work, after work and on the weekends, whenever time permits. Did you ever stop and think how can I get more time in the day for family or just myself? The best way to figure out with all the recourses we have; still most of us go into a store and spend time looking through racks and waiting in endless line to just purchase something. I compared going into a store verses online shopping; to see which on will save you time and money.
Shopping is something that has to be done whether you enjoy it or not to get essentials needed. We all go places where merchandize is being sold for a specific reason. Whether you go to the mall, shopping centers, or your local grocery store, you 'll always encounter many types of shoppers. Shopping isn’t always as fun as it sounds to everyone, but it is something we often do. This is the only way we get products we need, by personally buying them. You have three main shoppers including impulse buyers, list makers, and bargain hunters.