“One of the fundamental anxieties of the American consumer, after all, has always been that beneath the pleasure and the frivolity of the shopping experience runs an undercurrent of manipulation, and that anxiety has rarely seemed more justified than today” (Gladwell, part 3, p. 6).
It is reasonable to assume that the American consumer is always being observed. Whether it is the security guards, employees or security cameras there is an always present element of surveillance. These methods of surveillance are usually associated with finding customers who need help, customers who are in distress or to stop customers from stealing. This article brings to light another use for this surveillance; analysis. The fact that stores hire companies to “examine” their customers and the efficiency of their stores seems a little ridiculous to me. Thinking that you can analyze a customer to learn from their experiences and how they literally move through the store seems pointless. I guess there is a certain value to watching the customer but nothing is literally forcing you through the store. Gladwell brings up many instances of observation which Paco turns into his own type of “laws,” such as the right turn theory, the four zones of the department store and the decompression zone. I find it funny that someone has made money to analyze the way we move through stores. The only undercurrent of manipulation that I can see is where physical things are placed. If there is a wall in front of you, you will walk around it. If you put the better goods in the back of the store, the customer will want to venture deeper into the space. Doesn’t this research and analysis seem repetitive? Most of the key points in the analysis seem obvious. The interpretation of architectural decisions within a space seems much more valid that the interpretation of one customers movements. Design your store based on architectural principles, do not rely on people coming in to your space, taking an average of 15 ft to slow down and then turning right. What if someone decides to go left, is their experience of your store ruined…… I sure hope not. The placement of goods should be determined by the architecture, not by someone who analyze hours of film to determine lefts, rights and straights.
It is reasonable to assume that the American consumer is always being observed. Whether it is the security guards, employees or security cameras there is an always present element of surveillance. These methods of surveillance are usually associated with finding customers who need help, customers who are in distress or to stop customers from stealing. This article brings to light another use for this surveillance; analysis. The fact that stores hire companies to “examine” their customers and the efficiency of their stores seems a little ridiculous to me. Thinking that you can analyze a customer to learn from their experiences and how they literally move through the store seems pointless. I guess there is a certain value to watching the customer but nothing is literally forcing you through the store. Gladwell brings up many instances of observation which Paco turns into his own type of “laws,” such as the right turn theory, the four zones of the department store and the decompression zone. I find it funny that someone has made money to analyze the way we move through stores. The only undercurrent of manipulation that I can see is where physical things are placed. If there is a wall in front of you, you will walk around it. If you put the better goods in the back of the store, the customer will want to venture deeper into the space. Doesn’t this research and analysis seem repetitive? Most of the key points in the analysis seem obvious. The interpretation of architectural decisions within a space seems much more valid that the interpretation of one customers movements. Design your store based on architectural principles, do not rely on people coming in to your space, taking an average of 15 ft to slow down and then turning right. What if someone decides to go left, is their experience of your store ruined…… I sure hope not. The placement of goods should be determined by the architecture, not by someone who analyze hours of film to determine lefts, rights and straights.
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