Insights on Paying Attention

Crash Course on Creativity

Samanthah Maina

2012

Introduction

Are you paying attention? This is what we are looking at this week. Seeing beyond the ordinary, the obvious, paying attention and engaging the senses, as I went about going through places I would on daily or weekly bases with a new eye. Now allow me to take you on that journey and share the things and feeling I experienced.

I visited three different stores over the weekend and I started off with the supermarket a place I visit daily if not twice a day. Usually I would found with headphones on lost in a world of music and with a piece of paper with what I needed from the store at that time. This time I went into the supermarket without headphones and with the observation lab as my guide. First stop Nakumatt Supermarket.

Nakumatt as its slogan suggest has everything under one roof, so you can be granted that even if you walked in without any intention of buying anything you would have to walk out with something the store has a way to draw someone in. The doors are ever opened, telling me that it welcomes everyone and anyone. Its sign lettering is visible and clear its not italic but standard and in block. Its colours are blue and white from the sign to the walls in the store, its floors are marble, marking it easy to push the trolleys around the store. Ceilings are about 3meters high making one feel a sense of safety and the store well lit. The store has lots of noises from people on phones, to babies crying, intercom calling in workers, and music playing in the background, its a busy environment. The store is well air conditioned making it cool and comfortable, the store is well crowed with merchandise and has a distinctive smell depend on what part of the store youre in. Cash registers are found near the entrance or exit of the store. The security in terms of physical is at the entrance but, one can see the CCTV and have a sense that the store is under surveillance. Its an in and out store so the duration to which one wants to stay in the store is dependent on what they need from the store. The sales persons are busy stoke taking, so interaction will come from the customer and not the store persons. They are dresses in uniform matching the stores colours and the male population is more than the females and they are relatively young. For sale items are found at the entrance of the store, with a sign of the previous price and the reduced price, they have sample tables also at the entrance of the store. The more expensive items are hidden so to speak, they are found upstairs and

prices of products are easily found. Near the cash register there are impulse items such as candy, chocolate, condoms, lip blums and batteries. Most customers have company, either children or partners, the store showcase both genders and of all ages. Customers upon entering the store use the same path, products are easily touched and for the few that are not to be touched a sign is placed on the products.

Next stop Text Book Centre, I entered the store looking for a book it didnt draw me in, in the sense that I needed to browse through the store. The doors of the store are open and the sign lettering is bold and in capital. The store even before reading the sign will suggest its a bookshop because of the amount of books in plain sight. The colour scheme is blue, red and white, the floors are white marble, and the ceilings are relatively high making one feel small. The store is well lit, and had no noises apart from the soothing music playing in the background. The store is well air conditioned it cool and comfortable. The store is well merchandise and cash registers are found on the left hand side of the store near the entrance/exit. The store security is very present about three uniformed guards patrolling the store. I wanted to stay as long as it was possible I love reading and a bookshop is ideal a perfect haven. It took the sales person no less than 30 seconds to initiate contact which was surprising considering all the other time they wouldnt care much, the sale person looked like he selected who to approach, he went to person coming into the shop alone as opposed to persons coming in pairs. The ratio of salesperson to the customer was 1:4, the staff was more female than male and they were relatively young Id say mid 20s to mid 30s and they dressed in uniform and they indeed match the shops image. First products I could see are the on sale discounted books at the middle table upon entering the store. Products in the bookshop were arranged in function for example Fiction Non fiction Health, body and soul Self Help Children The bookshop offered booklets and magazines for free; they explained what the store is all about and the books in review, which I found really informative. The most expensive book/s was the encyclopaedias; the least was children reading books. The prices were easily found for the most part someone had to refer to any of the sale persons. At the register no impulse items just free booklets and magazines. Most customers came in with someone else, the relationships varied, some with kids, others with partners and other in a clique. The customers ages ranged from about 4 years to about 60 years. On average most customers stayed for about 30 minutes. Products at the shop were touchable and most customers were browsing and about 1 out of 4 bought books from the store.

Next stop to my favourite clothing store or also known as Mr Price, the store definitely draws one in with the manikins on display with bright colours and todays what new and hype to dress in. the doors are opened and the store makes you feel like buying a whole outfit. The store was for young people teenage and early twenties. The store was white and red and photograph of young people dressed in most of the clothing they offered for sale, the floor was white marble and the ceiling high, it was brightly lit and the music was loud I remembering hearing rock playing in the background. The store is well air conditioned so I would say very cool, the store was crowded with merchandise, the salesperson looked busy hanging the new arrivals. The store smelt of new clothes I cant quite describe the smell other than new clothes smell. The cash register near the entrance/ exit of the store. No physical security but a number of CCTV in the store. I wanted to stay and try on all the clothes, the environment indeed influences the perceived value of the merchandise. No sales person approaches me or any customer for that matter, the customer was the one initiating. The ratio of sales person to customers was 4; 2, they balanced in gender and ranged between 25-30 years of age. They dressed in uniform and matched the stores image. The store didnt have a display table, but had a rack of clothes tagged Prices to Go , the clothes are arranged in sections we have the kids section, ladies/girls and the men/boys section. In the different section jeans all together, shorts together, sweaters together and shoes together and all in items arranged in colours. Prices of the clothing is easily found, near the cash register we have impulse items like ear rings, rings, bags and other accessories. Customers came into the store as cliques or in pairs, most looked like friends and others with their boyfriends and girlfriends. The average age of the customer was 12 years to 25 years and upon entering customers went in different direction and most browsed through the clothes. The clothes and other products are touchable and even one can fit them in the fitted rooms located at the far end of the store. About 10% of customers bought products from the store.

Conclusion
I must say the experience was interesting to say the least, in every store that I visited I had such as urge to purchase something even though I didnt need them. I also experience stares from customers and the security at some point one security guard followed me around the bookshop until I bought a book so that I could prolong my stay and continue with the research. In two out of the three I visited, the sales persons didnt care in fact some came across as rude when asked on something. I discovered that we have new clothes smell and book smell. I had fun and my shopping experience has changed and now, more present. The report is plain, no pictures are present, well in most malls photography is strictly prohibited in fact if mall security gets you taking pictures, your camera is confiscated and interrogations begin. I hope I paint a picture of my experience.