Andrew Urabe
Mystery Shopping
In State and Liberty, products were hung on racks along the walls of the store,
such that customers have a very linear, easy to navigate shopping experience. Products
progress from more casual, less expensive wares (such as tee shirts and henleys) to
more expensive jackets and suits. The store chose to play modern R&B and electronic
music to reinforce their brand as being for younger men. Something I was not
necessarily fond of was that there was a seating area somewhat awkwardly located in
the center of the store. The furniture was, in my view, too large for the space it was
occupying and made it somewhat difficult to navigate the store.
In Warby Parker, products were again placed on the displays on the walls in a
similarly linear fashion. The tables in the center of the room were just below chest
height such as not to impede customers’ view of the main displays, but a comfortable
height to facilitate conversation with staff. The wall in the back of the store was painted
an accent color (navy blue) while the walls with displays were painted white. The shape
of the displays served as leading lines which directed customers’ attention to the rooms
in the back of the store and the checkout desk. The store was well lit so that customers
could get a good view of the glasses and how they looked on them.
In Shinola, products were mostly kept on display towers and tables flushed
against the walls, however some products were in smaller displays dotted throughout
the store. These smaller displays were sufficiently spaced out and low enough that I
could still clearly see the other displays and were not a hindrance to my shopping
experience. The store was well organized with one section for bags and luggage,
another for watches, and a display for decor items and clocks.
One trend I noticed across all three stores’ physical locations was that prices
were difficult to find (if the price was displayed at all). This was done likely to
emphasize that the point of difference in these stores is the quality of their products,
not the price of their products. Also, in each store staff offered to help with my
shopping experience and were very polite. They suggested items without being
overbearing or pressuring me to buy anything. Therefore I received excellent customer
service at each store.
Overall, I enjoyed the design of each store in terms of their ambiance and ease
of shopping experience. The designs helped me to understand each stores’ brand and I
felt as though their layouts, on the whole, facilitated a pleasant shopping experience.