If you build it(and let them lock their stuff in it), they will come.
I spotted this at the University Village Nike store. The lockers let runners who are out on a Nike+Run Club run to secure their valuables. The video screen above the lockers displays information on upcoming runs and all of this is next to the treadmill where you can have your gait analyzed.
Great examples of a brick and mortar store adding value for in-store customers.
IBM introduced the 5150 Personal Computer on August 12th, 1981. They sell 136,000 in the first year.
IBM along with Apple were beginning to change the way people thought about computers in the home and they help create the home computer retail business and set the stage for the internet. The internet enabled the Dotcom retail boom.
Mall of America Sign from WikiCommons
The work of Joe Chill 2
August 11th, 1992, the Mall of America (MOA) opens in Bloomington, MN.
At the time of its opening, MOA was the largest shopping mall in the United States with over 2.5 million square feet of leasable retail space inside a building of 5.4 million square feet. Over 520 stores operate in the mall and there is space for over 12,000 cars in the parking structures. 11,000 year round employees work in the mall with another 2000 during the Holidays. MOA generates about $2 billion dollars in economic activity.
Along with the stores, there is the Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park, the SeaLife Minnesota Aquarium, 24 restaurants, a Mirror Maze, a wedding chapel (that has performed over 7500 weddings), 342 room Marriott Hotel, 500 room Radisson Hotel, a comedy club, Minnesota Children’s Museum and a 14 theater multiplex.
I always appreciate point of sale materials that are both useful and well designed.
I saw this POS display designed for those of us who are a bit “fashioned-challenged” at my local JCPenney. (JCP clearly knows their target audience since not many “fashion-forward” men are shopping at JCP and many of their male shoppers made need some guidance.)
Shoppers do not need to know the lingo of the fashion industry to buy a pair of pants, they can simply look at the illustrations and read the description to decide which pants to buy. Nice job Dockers and JCP.
Too bad it makes no mention of actually taking the pants into the dressing room and trying them on. But that is a different issue.
“Customer service is not a department,
it is an attitude.”
-Anonymous
I stopped at the local Outlet Mall the other day to do some shopping and some observation. It was a warm and sunny day and may of the stores had their doors open to deal with the heat.
Being a fan of the brand and a citizen of the PNW, I stopped by the Columbia Sportswear Outlet where they had a great sale going on. I quickly found several items that I was shopping for so I headed to the registers where there were a number of waiting cashiers.
“I can help you right here,” came a greeting from the nearest register.
5th Ave in 1919
Fifth Avenue in New York City first opened as a thoroughfare on August 2nd, 1824.
In its early years, 5th Ave was a residential area which began to attract the well-to-do of the city. Later retailers and other businesses began to crop up along the street.
The area from 49th to 60th became the haven of many fine retailers. Retailers located on the Avenue have included: Saks 5th Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Bergdorf departments stores along with boutiques of Gucci, Prada, FAO Schwarz, Tiffany & Company, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Cartier.
I visited the Clackamas Town Center in Happy Valley, OR today. As I was walking from the parking lot to the mall, I saw something that just did not seem right.
If you have read this blog, you know that I am an avid bicyclist. I average about 4000 miles a year on my bike and use them for fitness, recreation and commuting.
So as I walked towards the mall doors today, a set of bicycle lockers caught my eye. These lockers are secure and weather-proof containers where you can park your bike when you visit the mall as a shopper or worker. I am glad to see the mall encourages bicycle use. Of course, this is Portland and encouraging bike use is expected.
But what was odd about the lockers was how they were placed. These bicycle lockers have lockers on both sides of the unit. But in this case, the unit was shoved up against the wall so that only half of the lockers could be used.
I could not figure out why the mall would go to the trouble of purchasing the lockers but installing them in such a way that only half of the capacity can be used. There does not seem to be any space constraints. As you can see in this photo there is plenty of space on the walkway to move the lockers away from the wall so that they can be fully utilized.
Great idea, poor execution.
I am not always as philanthropic as I would like, so when someone makes it easy to be generous, I appreciate it.
Case in point, I was out for a drive yesterday in the Columbia Gorge and thought it would be great to grab some food and head out on a trail for a short hike and picnic. Stopping at a Safeway, I quickly grabbed a few things for lunch then I headed to the cashier.
While the cashier made quick work of my purchase, I entered my Safeway Club card. After entering the card number, the reader asked if I wanted to make a donation. I punched “yes.” The next screen explained the donation would support the local schools and I could give $1,$3 or $5. I hit $5.
Simple as that, I had made a charitable donation just as the cashier finished ringing up the order. I handed him $20 and waited for the change. Turning back, he pointed out where there were additional mustard and mayo packets for my sandwich (a small thing, but a nice touch) and then he thanked me by name for my contribution to the local schools.
Nicely done.
Or are you just ignoring me?
Running some errands on a recent weekday afternoon, I stopped at the Washington Square Mall in Beaverton, Oregon. I wasn’t shopping for anything specific, I just hadn’t spent much tome in retail spaces as of late. While in the back of my mind, I was mulling over what I would pack for an upcoming visit to Europe so I was inclined to buy if a store made me feel welcome and they offered the right product.
My first stop was Dick’s Sporting Goods where I actively shopped in the Golf, Camping, Activewear and Footwear departments along with a deep dive in the clearance racks. I was never greeted, engaged or even acknowledged by any store staff members.
Macy’s was the next stop where I spent some time checking out men’s clothing and footwear. Again, nary a nod or a smile from a Macy’s staff member.
The Observant Customer 