What encourages you to buy when inside a store?

[bliss_]

I am researching an assignment for university on how the interior spaces of retail stores are set out to encourage shoppers to buy things ... I would really appreciate if you guys could give me some feedback, as some of you seem to be pretty intensive shoppers !

So ... a few ideas to start off :
How much do these things affect your shopping habits inside a particular store? Does anything especially just make you want to rip open your wallet and swipe your card?

- lighting
- placement of goods (minimalist or crowded)
- colour schemes on walls/decor and use of materials (carpet? tiles? stone? wood?)
- change rooms with seats/large rooms/mulitple mirrors
- layout of store {placement of cash regi/fitting rooms/first thing you see when entering)
- layout of stock (in - colour combinations; new/past seasons; type of garment; suggested combinations places together etc.)
- general vibe
- window display
- reputation of store

Don't feel you need to answer for everything, any responses would be fabulous!
THANK YOU GIRLS AND GUYS

 

[Pastry]

first and foremost, a fantasy window display is sure to bring me in, when it comes to widnow displays i could care less about wearable options, it's like a runway, it' meant to increase desirbality...

when inside...i like dim lighting, you can always try things on at home..
...i like to see merch layed out by trends or colour combinations
..and i would be extr. frustrated by packed fixtures and untidy merchandising, clenalines is key (imo...)
...and PLEASE offer seating in the changeroom, as well as enough space so you could look at yourself freely inside without coming out for everyone to see that you look ridiculous in those pants or that shirt...

 

[tinuvielberen]

Lighting should be diffuse and bright enough that I can see the clothes clearly, and tell close colors apart (i.e. black vs. dark navy).

Goods should be organized by color/style/designer/occasion, and easy to look through. If they're stuffed too tightly, it's hard to get things out or really get a feel for what the store has in stock.

Changing rooms should have plenty of hooks, and the doors should close and lock. There should be a chair and a table to put your stuff down on. Three-way mirrors inside the rooms are essential. I HATE places that don't have a mirror inside the room, and make you step outside to look at something.

There should be a comfortable seating area somewhere in the store for husbands/boyfriends, with something to keep them entertained, like men's magazines or a tv showing sporting events. I usually shop alone, but sometimes my husband comes along; but we'll leave a store if he gets bored or there's nowhere for him to sit. But if he's happy and entertained, I'll shop longer.

A sharp window display gets people off the street and inside the store.

The general vibe should be friendly and attentive. Salespeople should make eye contact, smile, and greet the customer immediately, ask if the customer is looking for anything in particular, and then leave her alone if she just wants to look around. But the second the customer picks up an item, the salesperson should be right there to take the item and put it in a dressing room. There's nothing I hate more than walking around with a big, heavy pile of clothes while the salespeople are goofing off.

The Nordstrom Collectors section has all of the above, pretty much.

 

[Keya]

The changing rooms are of great importance to me. If I'm comfortable in one, I'm prone to try on more clothes and as I result I'll probably buy more.
I was in a clothing store the other day, to find a black outfit for a funeral. Needless to say, black isn't exactly the 'it' color of the season, and I had a hard time finding something I liked. Thus I had to shop in places where I'd normally avoid going into the changing room (I usually just pick out something and buy it without trying it on, but on this day that wasn't an option as I had to make sure I had a black outfit that fit) Anyway, the conditions in the changing room made me decide never to shop there again (despite the fact that I did find a nice black suit there The changing room had no chair or bench where I could put my bag, and only had one hook to hang the clothes. Needless to say, it was impossible to fit everything I was trying on + my bag and the clothes I was wearing on the same hook, and everything ended up falling on the floor in a huge mess. It was incredibly annoying. What I want from a changing room is enough hooks to hang things on, and a chair where I can put my bag and the clothes I'm wearing. I also like enough space to turn around, and not too much crazy lighting or mirrors who lie (I've read about stores that have mirrors that makes you look skinnier! That's just fraud, and I obviously wont be pleased when I come home and try the clothes on there) I also like it to be large mirrors outside the dressing room so that I can walk outside and look at the clothes in the mirror there (gives me a feel of what the clothes feel like when I move in them and gives me a chance to get away from the heavy lighting inside the dressing room) Some stores also have these curtains to close the dressing room that leaves a little gap on the side, and I hate that. I do not want everyone and their grandma to be able to see me in my undies as I'm changing. Other stores have curtains or doors that start two and a half feet above the floor, which is really impractical when you're short (I was once in a changing room where the gap between the floor and the door was only two inches shy of showing my bum. I don't feel that it's nesseceary to show off my legs as I'm trying something on either, thankyouverymuch!) So to sum it up, the changing rooms needs to:

~Have doors/curtains that closes the entire gap and gives the customer a bit of privacy.

~Decent lighting and mirrors that don't lie.

~A chair and enough hooks!

~Enough space to turn around.


Chairs where we can place our boyfriends is a plus too.


edit: Oh, and enough changing rooms.
If I have to wait in a line to try something on, I probably wont bother.

 

[softgrey]

music...
bad music will drive me out of a store VERY quickly...
and good music will make me linger longer...

 

[ad102616]

^
I couldn't agree with you more.

Aside from a stellar window display, the sales people and their reputation makes or breaks if I return to a store, make a purchase, etc. I hate pushy sales people who are dishonest and uneducated when presented with a question.

I know this doesn't correspond with the question entirely but sales people do contribute to a store's interior...I can deal with a cluttered store and bad interior design if the clothes are great...but I can't deal with pushy sales people...no matter what the clothes look like or how fantastic the store is presented.

 

[bliss_]

Thanks everyone Much appreciated

 

[EdK]

for lower end, placement of goods and layout of store. for high end clothing its more about reputation, knowing what youre going for and expecting to find it there.

 

[Caroline]

i need to work on being harder to influence. if something makes me look skinny i probably will buy it!

and also the smallest persausion from a stylish sales associate will usually encourage me to buy something

 

[Erin]

The biggest thing for me isn't how the store LOOKS, but how the salespeople ACT. If they're breathing down my neck the minute I walk in, I immediately feel uncomfortable. I know many work on commission, but it's just a very bothering thing for me.

But other than that, it's simply price... if I can get some clothing on sale/clearance, I don't care how the rest of the store looks, quite frankly.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I agree with Pastry, windows are very important if I didn't come specifically to visit the store. Agree that merchandise needs to be appropriately spaced so that you can *see* the merchandise--coming in and seeing something great is what inspires me to buy. Another thing that's a turnoff about stores cramming clothes together is that they apparently don't respect their own merchandise and may have already damaged it.

A comfortable large dressing room with plenty of hooks and a 3-way mirror is important too. Nordstrom's Collectors has a raised platform that's mirrored on 3 sides--enough space to watch how the clothes move when you walk.

And then it really all comes down to the SAs. If I like the SA, and I like the merchandise, I will buy from that SA. If the SA is a turnoff, I will do everything I can not to buy from that SA, even if I like the merchandise. Also in Nordstrom Collectors, I've had the dept mgr give me invaluable styling tips, so that kind of knowledge is a real bonus (and makes me happy to pay sales tax!). It's also really valuable when the SA can follow your instructions and go get you a coordinating piece, even from another dept (I had a great SA at Neiman's who would go get things for me from other floors).

I also agree about privacy, which includes the physical setups and those signs that imply you're being watched on camera. Anything like that makes me very uncomfortable and in a big hurry to leave. I also don't appreciate SAs just walking in.

Good tailors are also important, and being able to get a small alteration done on the spot is very impressive (and helpful).

It's important to separate merchandise, roughly by price point. I forget what it's called when you jumble everything together, there's a technical term for it, but Nordstrom's used to do it & I couldn't shop there when it was like that--it just didn't make sense.

After the sale, a bad return policy will make me boycott a store (Dillards ) There's a little thing I've noticed, which is that if the store has a liberal return policy, nothing will go wrong, but if they have a Draconian policy, it will.

As far as lighting, there is nothing more annoying than getting home and finding that what you bought is really a completely different color than it appeared to be in the store. IMO, dressing rooms should *not* have fluorescent lighting. There's a lingerie store I go to where the lighting adds a minimum of 10 years to your face. Perhaps they want you to think, my God, my face looks terrible, I damn well better have sexy underwear A friend went with me, and commented on this too, so it's not my imagination

 

[marcj]

blood alcohol level..... haha just kidding... they do serve booze on saturday at the bergdorf men's store

 

[Diorling]

If I like it, I get it.

I agree with Pastry I want windows that make me say...wow...convey the brand image and feature thier hottest (AKA most expensive) pieces and the latest. Ralph Lauren has a great window. I want opinions from my SA, not someone who likes absolutely everything I wear. I like modest lighting but a very dark, rich enviroment, I dont like Coach's very stark minimalist look, I love Ralph Lauren's feel, it's like a mansion. I also appreciate lots of texture, like slate, carpeting, hardwood, upholstered walls. A nice changing room, one that's almost like youre at home, very comfortable and most of all...private. The vibe, I cant feel uncomfortable cause then I dont slip into purchase mode. Floorset, is HUGE for me, I dont want to have to look for things to go with other things, logically it should all be grouped via collection then by what could go together, it makes sense from two angles, first the customer can find things more easily secondly the customer is encouraged to buy more if they dont have to think about it (this is very common Ive found, ease is what they want). I dont go into stores that have a bad reputation. I dont like super minimalist floorsets because there's a certain...pretention that comes with it, like I hate Saks' when there is 20 feet between racks of clothes, its so annoying, why dont they use that space for a theme, or a mood? That's what I would looove to do if I ever got a hold of a highend department store.

Ralph Lauren has the best lighting!! The best, it makes you look so well rested and just great! Coach has really crazy lighting it makes you look really pale and a little sick if your makeups not perfect.

 

[Curious]

helpful sales associates... but not hounding

easy to navigate displays (though I do appreciate a good hunt, but I have to be prepared for that )

good lighting in the dressing room & 3 way mirrors

And music... definitely! I've been driven out by repetitive club beats

 

[unplugged66]

When I go shopping I usualy have a set mind on what I want. Like that I know what I want, where to get it, its cost, and all other aspects I need to know. I don't like to walk randomly into stores and just look around. I like to be familiar with the place and the merchandise available. So I don't really rely on techniques the stores use to make customers buy their merchandise ie. lighting, mirrors, and all kinds of props.

I'm the kind of shopper that knows what I want and don't need that specific store look to buy a piece I like. Plus I usualy just buy 90% of my clothes at Holt Renfrew which is very high end so meh.

 

[gsquared]

-Lighting is important. I like stores that are brightly lit so I can see the items in detail. (Not like Hollister...wth? I can't even see people's faces in there!)
-store size, I like big, well spaced out stores..not huge like a department store, but no cramped up little stores for me
-strore front/display Very important, I tend to like to look at the displays and mannequins..it makes me want to go in
-NEAT AND TIDY...Stores that don't have piles of clothes that are unfolded everywhere..it makes me uncomfortable.
-friendly SA's always good
-most importantly for me.....SALE SIGNS! even though I usually head back to the clearance section to pick up great bargains...people have NO idea how great the items on those messy racks are..especially for basics like tees and jeans! I rather purchase sale items from a more expensive place than shop for new arrivals at places like Guess or Stitches

 

[accordingi2ime]

Price...
Sales people... some times they just pick out stuff that really suits me well that I wouldn't have shown interest if they hadn't suggested.
organization...
Dressing room... ease of access, room size etc...

I think mirrors and lighting plays a major role too. optical illusion. Somehow it looks better on me in the store mirror than my home mirror.

 

[Blondes]

The big white shiny walls and really bright lighting at Zara stores make me feel too exposed. I usually leave that store without buying, despite having seen lots of cute stuff.

Another thing is where the dressing rooms are placed, how many they are and how they are constructed. That I can't find the dressing room, a long line, a flimsy curtain or a door that ends to low will make me not want to try someting on. And I don't buy without trying on first.

 

[susie_bubble]

If it's a little boutique, then I'm their dream customer because a few words from a nice SA and out comes the plastic.....

If it's a high-end store, then I usually go in with an intention to buy something specific (I hate browsing in those kind of stores with all the SAs' beady eyes on me).

It's something high street, since it's cheap, frankly, I couldn't care less what the store looked like. Obviously the better styled the mannequins in store like Topshop or Urban Outfitters, then it does entice me to buy because then you can see the scope of an item of clothing more easily.

I don't tend to try stuff on so changing rooms aren't so much of an issue - but obviously flattering mirrors and lighting for more expensive purchases will sway me!

 

[masquerade]

music is important. there is nothing less appealing than going to a store with its music too loud. im shopping, not clubbing

the store should be bright and organized. if its too minimal, you kinda feel on display, i dunno if that makes sense. but if there is a lot of merchandise, it should me organized and easily accessible

i hate it when you go to a store and you see something on a mannequin and you cant find it in the store yourself. i like to do things myself, i hate being talked to by sales associates in general, it just seems like they are aching for commission. but if its someting that you need a sales associate for, like shoes, i hate it when they arent around. there needs to be a balence. let the person browse if thats what they are doing, but if they need help, be available

windows are important in the sense of what kind of store it is. would i want to shop there? would my mom? would my four year old cousin? that sort of thing. if its a store i am unfamiliar with, the window is the first impression and thats important.