Catching Up!

A brief glimpse into one of my observations:

The store was unusually cold, I had been informed when I arrived that a technician came to turn on the Air Conditioning, but had set the gage too low.  The associate, Tess*, who was working had made the decision to break dress code (white/black shirt, black/khaki pants) and tug on a light brown sweater over her uniform's apron.

I began browsing the shelves, this particular day spent out of unform, greatful for my own sweatshirt, my nose already begining to run from the cold of the store.  Two teenage girls entered the store-- wearing flip-flops and shorts-- immediately remarking on the frigid temperature before turning and leaving before Tess had a chance to speak with them.

It was a Wednesday evening, a time and day that already has relatively low traffic, and it was another forty five minutes before another customer entered.

This shopper was in her mid-forties, wearing a sweater and pants, but she still shivered upon entering the store.  When Tess spoke to her, she waved the associate off and said that she was "Just Looking!" in a curt tone.  She then moved quickly towards the back of the store, selecting items seemingly without thought and proceeding to the checkout.

She didn't speak to Tess at all as she checked out, and left immediately.  As soon as she exited the store, her posture relaxed and she tugged at her sweater.

Perhaps, in the case of the store's atmosphere, this particular night was inhospitable to shoppers.

*Name Changed

Literature Review, and Library Work.

After some digging, I've finally managed to finish my Lit Review.
It was very slow going, and unsurprisingly, I could find nothing to relate directly to my specific topic.

But I have no fears. After my retinas had a rest (we all know how horrible staring at stark, white PDF files can be), I unearthed a few articles that I found I could easily relate to the phenomenon of the "Just Looking" shopper!

I've decided to split my Literature review into two separate categories. The first deals with the way a customer is influenced by the physical store itself. You all know what I mean. It's what we-- in my store at least-- call the 'total experience'.

• Lighting!
• Scent!
• Music!
• Display!
• Organization!

Each of these things are cues that can make or break whether or not a customer even looks at your store, let alone whether they will allow the workers to assist them.

Second, I've decided to make the bulk of my paper talk about Consumer Psychology. This includes examples of how children are raised to resist the influences of advertising, how a group dynamic differs from a person shopping alone, and how a person's past experiences shape how they act when they walk into the store.

I found each of these points to be easily relatable to my own topic, and also included examples of each in my paper as well.

Starting Out.

I am a University student on a mission.
A mission to fulfill a semester's worth of assignments, one of which being this blog.

Simple explanation:

• One class.
• Twelve hours of observation.
• One lengthy and detailed paper.

And then...
Hopefully, a better understanding of human behavior.

I work for a retail fragrance chain in South-Eastern Wisconsin, and like most retail employees, I have heard the phrase, "Just Looking," more times that I care to admit. So, through my experiences (sale-associate dodging, being ignored, and even out-right rudeness from customers), I've begun to ponder whether there is a common factor between these customers that seem so desperate to be left alone.

• Are they more commonly from an apparent social class?
• Do women tend to "associate-dodge" more than men?
• Do certain age groups tend to react with the "Just Looking" attitude over others?
• What other tactics do customers use to attempt to keep away from retail workers?

Also:

What happens if the employee is persistent?

• Do they leave?
• Do they give in?
• Or is this the point that rudeness begins to take hold?

I will be observing customers at my store, as one of their own. Another consumer, looking for good deals, and great fragrances. All names for this study will be falsified, and the name of the company will be confidential, however, I will be updating this blog with my findings.

Curious?
Stay tuned.

-AG