Analyzing stores under the guidelines of Paco Underhill’s theories you can begin to depict between the different strategies stores use to give you every incentive to make a purchase. I chose to visit Group USA, a woman’s dress store located in Arizona Mills mall. Taking a look at the store I can relate a lot of their strategies to Underhill’s theory. These strategies range from store design and layout, to lighting and placement of the product. The store leaves you a bread crumb trail of strategies used up to the second you purchase your product. Taking Underhill’s theories into consideration can completely change your shopping experience.
Underhill states that when a customer enters a store, they typically go right. Knowing this, I now choose to go left upon first entering the store. Analyzing the layout of Group USA, I look at the dresses they have over on the right hand entrance and compare those to the left hand side. I found that in this particular store there wasn’t any significant change in the price, design, or quality. But, I did notice that in the front of the store they display some of their more expensive dresses for potential customers to see as they walk by the front of their store. Yet in the front of the store behind the displays, they keep their cheaper dresses, while the more expensive dresses are actually in the back of the store. This is a strategy the store uses because they know not every day does a lady drop a thousand dollars on a dress.
The lighting and design in Group USA is bright and vibrant. Lights are used to light up the many portraits that line the walls. The portraits and photographs that are placed along the wall display images of happy individuals and families in black and white. Most of these photos look like they were taken in the 1900’s. The people in these pictures all look joyous and gives the store that same positive feel. Overhead lights hang over the areas with product layed out, strategically placed to draw your eyes. With the lights, and the photos placed on the walls the store has a happy, vibrant feel to it.
Group USA has its breadcrumb trail left for you, to lead you to a purchase. They use displays at the front of the store to draw you in. Once you’re in, you’re bound to most likely go right according to Underhill’s theory. They give the store a comfortable feel by the design of the store, all the walls and pillars are white, this complements many of the white expensive dresses that line the back wall. Once you are deep in the store you start to reach these more expensive dresses, where a concierge is usually around to help you if you want to try any of them on, or have any questions. They use this strategy knowing it takes a little irking of the customer for them to make a bigger purchase.
Group USA is now a store that has my full understanding about their use of strategies. When heading into a store it’s interesting to take Underhill’s theory and apply it to your shopping experience. When giving thought to his theory it really makes it easy to analyze the store and the strategies they’re using to get make you purchase. These strategies go down to the fundamentals of the building and its layout, and to simpler things such as the lighting and placement of the product.
cameronkonin 