Rocio Perez

Answer Sheet for Mini-Exam #11 due by 11:59 p.m. on 11/17/20

Questions Answer
Multiple Choice Question #1 5

Multiple Choice Question #2 2

Multiple Choice Question #3 5

Multiple Choice Question #4 4

Multiple Choice Question #5 2

Multiple Choice Question #6 3

Multiple Choice Question #7 2

Multiple Choice Question #8 5

Multiple Choice Question #9 3

Multiple Choice Question #10 4

Essay Question (use extra sheet)

Essay Question In 800 words or less (+/-10%), 20 points total

 
Part 1
More than shopping

I believe the statement represents what many of us think about “shopping”, it is a whole
experience, it is not only to go to a store and buy a product, it is a process where the
customers find themselves making comparisons, plans and decisions.1 As the article
“Customers Want Experiences Instead of Things: What That Means for Retailers” states,
customers are starting to look for experiences more than things, the article also claims

1
Spectrio, S. (n.d.). Customers Want Experiences Instead of Things: What That
Means for Retailers. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from
https://blogs.spectrio.com/customers-want-experiences-instead-of-things-what-that-
means-for-retailers
that especially millennials are into spending money in ‘doing” instead of spending money
on acquiring things. It also explains that what makes the consumer think like this is
“FOMO, fear of missing out” which according to the article is what people feel when
they see other peers experiencing something that they are missing out on. 

Individuals relate to this easily. When customers visit a store in Times Square, they do so
-- not for shopping –but for all the attractions they offer to the public. Follow the example
of the M&M store in NY. I believe that – more than to purchase the chocolate they can
get anywhere--- customers go there to take pictures and then share their experience on
their social media platforms. I believe this can be a very effective strategy for the store,
consumers are getting in for an experience, and will end up making a purchase, at the
same time promoting the brand by sharing the photos on social media. The promotes
both the brand and the location. People often post pictures with the geo location attached
to their posts, this can be useful for other consumers and also for the store. For sure,
others will seek to copy the experience. Therefore, this strategy attracts more customers.

An almost certain effective investment seems to be to throw effort into a little more in
decorations, attractions and overall experiences for consumers, especially in this time
where we are witnessing the decline of bricks-and-mortar stores.

References

Spectrio, S. (n.d.). Customers Want Experiences Instead of Things: What That Means for
Retailers. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from
https://blogs.spectrio.com/customers-want-experiences-instead-of-things-what-that-
means-for-retailers

Part 2

Essential Dimensions for a Good Store Image

Store image for me is: how a customer sees the store and its characteristics and qualities
which the public sees in THIS particular store that it does not see in others. 2According to
Dictionary.univesity.com the definition of store image is “what consumers think about a
particular store. That definition is pretty simple but very similar to mine, confirming my
opinion. The vibe a customer gets from a specific store image is of great value for the
brand and vice versa.  There are some factors that can affect or enhance the store image.
Some factors include:  Merchandise, service, convenience, physical facilities, and store
atmosphere.

Merchandise is if not the most important concern, although of course it is one of them!
This dimension provides a good or a bad image and influences whether the customer will
return to the store and recommend it to peers. Merchandise considerations include quality
of the product, its price and style. From a personal point of view, there are some stores
that lend an image of “expensive” because of its high prices. When I talk to friends or
family about it, I will probably say something, like “I like it but it is too expensive. That
perception of lacking in value versus price is one that can damage the brand. Of course,
for some people that can afford the product, it is not a problem. However, it all comes
down to the quality of the merchandise.

Sometimes as a customer looking for certain items, quality is unimportant. My examples

are that for certain decorations quality matters not a bit, socks too. I expect them to be
cheap. But, when I buy a coat or snow boots and other items that I trust will last a long
time, that is not the case. In that case, the consumer seeks quality and value but seems
willing to sacrifice little on quality while willing to pay more of a price for durable
quality merchandise. When quality is unimportant, I ignore it. When important, I will
predict that many consumers will agree with my likely blast of the seller on social media
and to friends.

Another dimension I find extremely important in the image of a store is service. In

addition to other offerings of a store, like credit, layaway, etc., I believe that the customer
service is a key whether customers construct a good or bad image of the store.3 Rohit

2
(n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.dictionary.university/store
image

3
Viswanathan, R. (2020, November 12). Customer Service is a Key Differentiator in
Retail. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://freshdesk.com/customer-
support/customer-service-in-retail-a-differentiator-blog/
Viswanathan in “Customer Service in Retail – A Differentiator”, explains that even
though the sales has always been the essential force of a business, customer service is
what turns a purchaser into a “loyal” customer.  He explains that one of the reasons why
this is so important, is because nowadays consumers are very much into rating and
sharing reviews. Consumers are very opinionated and at the same time rely on their peers'
perception of the image of the brands or in this case stores. I totally agree with his claims,
as a consumer I ceased shopping or visiting some stores because of the poor customer
service of the personnel employed by the store. And the reverse is also true. I will never
forget entering Nordstrom’s for the first time on a Saturday, asking where to find a men’s
shirt, and the Assistant Store Manager walking me all the way up to the third floor to
bring me to where I needed to be. Impressive.

On the negative side of things, there was a time I would buy a lot of makeup from
cosmetics and companies just to review it all on my YouTube makeup channel, but I
never could buy anything at MAC Cosmetics. It seemed that every time I visited the store
I was ignored, or overlooked. The employees made me feel like I was not a potential
purchaser, because maybe I did not wear makeup or was not cool enough for the brand.
Hence, my perception of that particular store is terrible, bad, and of high-priced products
that were both expensive and not nice at all. 

Physical facilities is another dimension I consider extremely important for the image of a
store. This constitutes the cleanliness of the store, how the products are layout, if it is
decorated to attract customers, if the layout is designed to ease the shopping experience.
There is not in the middle, for this dimension. A store can either be messy, disorganized
and dirty, or can be clean, organized and tidy.  4According to Donna Geary, in “Retail
Store Design: Creating a Powerful Store Image.” Studies show that a retail store has
approximately 7 seconds to get the attention of a potential customer. So, how everything
is laid out will play a very important role in whether the customer will indeed enter the
store and if is going to stay. For example, I am a very visual person, I do not buy where
the layout is not carefully organized by colors and sizes. It is too overwhelming for me as
a customer if I am looking for a black blouse with a certain style and I cannot find it, just
because there are multiple styles and sizes all over the place. I would immediately walk
out, feeling disappointed and overwhelmed by the bad shopping experience. And i
needless to say walk outs are harmful not only for the stores profitability but also for the
store image. 

4
Geary, B. (n.d.). The Sideroad. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from
http://www.sideroad.com/Retail_Services/store-design-visual-merchandising.html
Convenience is another dimension, this has to do with location and parking, I have not
encountered a problem with this dimension yet, And I do not see how this could affect
the image of the store. I believe that more than harming the store image, those factors as a
negative can harm access and awareness. 

And last but not least, the store's atmosphere. This I discussed in a prior essay. It is key
for a store image: whether the customers see the store as a fun place to experience and
buy in a calm, or relaxed atmosphere. As I addressed in Part 1, customers are looking for
something more than just shopping, they look for a complete shopping experience that
embraces all their senses. For example, music, fragrance, lights—they all matter. In order
for customers to have a good perception of the store, they have to feel comfortable and at
ease when they enter. Some even address the experience attraction by window ads for
the eyes, smells for the olfactory sense, music for the ears, and so on. The objective is to
get the customer to think of the store and have that convey the perfect image,
encouraging them to return with more of their disposable personal income! 

References

(n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.dictionary.university/store

image

Geary, B. (n.d.). The Sideroad. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from

http://www.sideroad.com/Retail_Services/store-design-visual-merchandising.html

Viswanathan, R. (2020, November 12). Customer Service is a Key Differentiator in

Retail. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://freshdesk.com/customer-
support/customer-service-in-retail-a-differentiator-blog/