Observation LabIf I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient

attention, than any other talent. Isaac Newton: (1642-1727)

Assignment : MAX RETAIL FASHION STORES, BANGALORE, INDIA

Being a marketing student, this assignment to me looked very attractive, I did nothing new but tried to visualise so many things at once- I went in directly to the ‘MAX’ (Lifestyle) showroom, India (Bangalore). As i was a part of short term project we did at Max couple of months back- It was easier to me to get in & work in my way. This assignment has some questions which are slated towards a new guy & how he looks at the market place & chooses a store to get in (Being attracted to its novelty) – I’ll mix my past experiences at max & what I learned about it sequentially.

Before you enter the store:

Does the store draw you in? If so, how?

Yes, RED bright colour & most importantly – the word ‘SALE’ drew me in.

Is the door open or closed?Yes, Open- The Doors were made of glass, hence were transparent.

How does this make you feel?Welcoming!

How big is the sign lettering and in what font?Sign lettering was more than 8 Inches- Font- Times New Roman

What does it tell you about the store?That something exciting is going on in the store- Come on join and be a part of it. It tells that – ‘WE ARE HERE FOR YOU FOR YOUR GAINS – Helping you to spend less & buy more.

Environment:

What is the color scheme of the store? How does this affect you?RED & BLUE

What type of floor does the store have? How does this effect the environment?Floor was made out of Granite tiles- Cream in colour- It made the environment look clean & rich. Probably more authenticated.

How high is the ceiling? How does this feel?More than 14 ft. – It felt spacious & Roomy – Like it feels when you are in the big Hotels.

How brightly lit is the store? How does this affect you?The store used small CFL lights almost everywhere- It Also used RED lights at places like sign boards & show cases- It helps in grabbing attention. It had a positive effect as it was easy for me to locate merchandise & differentiate between the coloured schemes. It actually makes a wider difference when you get into the store from Natural outside.

How loud is the environment?Environment was not loud- It was easy and smooth- Being a family Merchandise store it was balanced. Every 15 minutes they did announcements in different sections about the offers.

What is causing the noise?It was smooth- The noise was only at the billing counter.

Is there music playing? If so, does it fit the environment?Yes the music was instrumental & sociable.

Is the store warm or cold?

The store maintained the temperature around 22-24*C – Which fits in very well in Southern part of India. More precisely that’s the Bangalore’s normal temperature in the evening.

Is the store crowed with merchandise or is it sparse?It was spacious – but due to weekend- It was challenging to maintain the merchandise.

Does the store have a distinctive smell?No- They didn’t use any Aroma or any distinctive smell which could make the customers more comfortable.

Where is the cash register located?On the billing counter- They had 6 cash registers/ terminals – (4) at the main place just in the middle of the store and( 2) cash registers were near the Exit door (Which were opened only at the time of emergency .

How visible is the store security?They had in total (3) Guards. (2) Male & (1) female guard.

How long do you want to stay in this store? 20 Minutes.

Does the environment influence the perceived value of the merchandise?Yes, Offers & shoppers influence it more. Personnel:

How long does it take before a sales person initiates contact?

It takes a long time when it’s a weekend- Weekdays it takes no more than (3-4) minutes.

Does the salesperson have a script to follow with each customer?No. But I heard him repeatedly wishing customers- That might be a part of it.

Does the salesperson treat different customers differently?Yes, Age group wise- His way of approaching them was same but behaviour was different- Was quite adjustable.

What is the ratio of salespeople to customers?On a rough note (1:6) in weekends & (1:3) in weekdays.

What age and gender are the employees?Middle aged- (19-38

)Are the salespeople using the store products?Yes.Do the salespeople have a uniform?Yes.Do the salespeople match the stores image?Yes.

Products:

What is the first product that you notice?T-Shirts- That is what you buy when you are in Max & in your 20’s

Is there a central display table with featured products?Yes, In the middle of the store’s sections.

Where are items that are “for sale” located in the store?Only Fresh new arrivals where kept at bay- Tagged ‘NEW ARRIVALS’

How are the products arranged? By function? By price? By color?By Price. By function.

Are there free samples or demonstrations?No free samples but they had mannequins demonstrating them.What products are at eye level?

What items in the store are in the least accessible locations?Excessive Stocks

Where are the most and least expensive products located?In the two different sides of the store- sections.

Are the prices of the products easy to find?Yes.

Are there impulse items near the cash register?Yes- Handkerchiefs & Magazines.

Customers:

Are most customers alone or with someone else? What is the relationship?Friends, GF/BFWhat is the average age and gender of the customers?16-60

When a customer enters the store, do they tend to walk in the same path or direction? -

No.

How long do customers stay in the store, on average?minimum 10 minutes- Average 30 minutes.

Do customer touch the products? Is this encouraged?Yes- Encouraged.Do most customers appear to be on a mission or are they browsing?Mixed.What percent of customers purchase products in the store?more than 65%

Other Observations:

The behaviour of employees- Tends to maintain a good relation with the customers.- That’s the brand you build upon – Your employees first – then yourcustomers.