2016

Year 7 shopping trip

to QCC
Aryaan Siddiqui
7DR / Mr. Baldwin

Open the !wOw!

booklet

Now
 We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

Introduction
On Monday 23rd of November, Year 7 went to QCC which is located in Qurum, Muscat.
The puprpose of the trip was to explore why QCC was chosen to be built on the site it is
currently standing on, and to investigate the types of shops in QCC and the way it is used.
 We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

Flatland

Petrol
pumps
Roads
School
Inhabited Areas
QCC an elegant shopping enclave boasts more than 40 shops under one roof, it is quite popular among the
citizens, makes it one of the most distinct shopping area, as you venture inside the mall there is an
impressive atmosphere along side you find an vibrant array of small unique kiosk’s selling unusual gift items.
QCC (site) is built on a flatland, but to be able to do that they would have to modify the terrain, as it would
been easier to build on. The human and physical features surrounding QCC (situation) are inhabited areas,
petrol pumps, school, roads and hills.
The biggest advantage of QCC is that it is located in a strategic central location in the city to gain maximum
sales. Being surrounded by inhabited areas brings lot of pedestrian customers, which frequently visit QCC
for their basic needs rather than going to other faraway malls or super/hypermarkets. Thus bringing profit.
In addition, QCC caters all the basic requirements like grocery items, pharmacy, clothing, restaurants and
entertainment. The facilities provided are attractive to people for convenient, safe and an enjoyable
shopping experience. Moreover, another added advantage is the well-connected roads and easy accessibility
of QCC, which brings loads of potential customers to the mall thus increasing the sales and profitability

Aims of the lesson

To understand site and situation of QCC

To have a clear understanding how site and situation are important for any settlement.
To understand how site and situation effect profitability for any settlement
To have an idea of high, medium, low order shops
To understand a shopping hierarchy
To know how QCC is used
 We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

What is a shopping hierarchy?

A shopping hierarchy, places shops into three headings High order, Medium
order or Low order on the bases of how expensive the products are and how
often do you buy them.
What is in a shopping hierarchy?

High order shops are those that sell mainly high priced goods that people buy
only occasionally.
Examples are: furniture shops, jewellers, stores selling large electrical goods
such as washing machines, televisions and freezers, car dealers, travel agents
selling holidays
Low order shops mainly sell low priced goods that people buy frequently.
Examples are: a bakery, butcher, grocer, supermarket, newsagent, sweet shop.
Medium order shops mainly sell reasonable/ average priced goods that people
buy every month/fortnight.
Examples are: t-shirt/shirt, DVD, video games, books and etc.
We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

We wanted to find out how many people visited QCC by counting footfall (the number of
pedestrians) and the cars that passed us.
Task 1: Visitor numbers will increase during the day
For the pedestrian count, in our groups we stood at door A and counted the number of
people for a period of five minutes on the hour, every hour from 10.15am – 1.15pm and the
same for the traffic count except we counted the traffic which passed by us.
Counting was done for a number of times, not just once because we wanted to find out if
the visitors increase as the day progresses. By repeating the counts we wanted to verify
whether the statement “Visitor numbers will increase during the day” is correct or
incorrect.
To make the collected information as accurate as possible we had a five minute timer to
keep track on time, and not to miss a vehicle or a person we used tally charts as they are
easier to record, unlike writing numbers as you have to erase the numbers again and
again, then write the new number when met by a vehicle or person which can result
miscounting. Evidence was obtained that mostly everyone has got nearly same results as
me.
Others results may have not been accurate as some other group(s) may have miscounted
the traffic or pedestrians.
We wanted to investigate that “Visitor numbers will increase during the day” well we only
did a one-day count rather than doing the count on other days to compare and argue on
the statement “Visitor numbers will increase during the day” that is a factor to improve
on next time.

To be continued onto the next page….

We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

My results may not gave the exact accurate information as I was standing on
the side gate and the cars might have passed through the other gates same
can be said for the pedestrians as well.

QCC a very popular shopping destination in Qurum continues to be a major

draw for residents. On an average, a lot of people visit this mall. The mall
opening hours are 10.00 am – 10.00 pm on weekdays, and 10.00 am to 12am
on weekends. We conducted our survey on Monday and got the following
results regarding task 1, which are shown in the above clustered bar chart.
From the result depicted in the bar chart we could conclude a sharp increase
in the number of pedestrians entering the mall. With the number of
pedestrians escalating from 7 at 10.15 to 19 at 11.15. But the number dwindled
from 19 to 13 at 12.15, the possible reason could be, pedestrians using the
other entrances, also this being the prayer time. The number surged again
reaching 20 at 1.15, this could be due to the fact that it is QCC hosts a grand
food court offering some delicious cuisines and a multiplex. The traffic result
also shows an increase in the number of vehicles entering the mall. Though
the number of vehicles remained 4 at 10.15 and 11.15, but the number swelled
to 20 at 12.15. This can be explained as at 11.15 cars might have passed through
the other gates. Number of vehicles as high as 20 at 12.15 and 13 at 1.15 could
be attributed to the fact that being lunchtime, people visited Carrefour and
food court.

It could be concluded from the above results that the number of pedestrians
and traffic improved from morning to afternoon during our survey period i.e.
10.15am-1.15pm. Further our results tally with the statement that the number
of visitors increase during the day as seen above in the given clustered bar
chart with the progression of the day.

In my opinion as well traffic and pedestrians generally increase with the

We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

To make it easier to record, we used a base map of QCC to categorise the shops into low,
middle and high order shops (The shopping hierarchy was explained earlier in my project).
Task 2: The shops are mainly high order
To kick off our investigation, we went to each shop in QCC and my partner and me discussed
v if either it is a high, medium, low order shop.
However to be able to examine the shops, we categorized the stores on the bases of the
products they’re selling.
For our High order shops we chose the following…
The first one being Capital Store, which brings the world's foremost luxury brands in beauty,
cosmetics and perfumes. High brands like Helena Robinson for skincare; Dior and YSL for
cosmetics and Mont Blanc, Roberto Cavalli, Channel and Ferrari for perfumes are sold in this
Capital Store outlet. Www.csoman.com/ Www.facebook.com/capitalstorellc
Another example, Bose, an American company, which produces and specializes in high
quality audio equipment’s and is best known for its home audio systems and speakers. For
more than three decades, Bose has developed innovative loudspeakers, electronics and
software. En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose Corporation Www.bose.com/professional.html
In addition another high order shop, MI Store, an apple premium seller, is currently the first
Apple Premium Reseller for Oman region. Www.mistoreoman.com/
Moreover, Monsoon a store for clothing, where great selections of glamorous evening wear, is
available, also comes in the category of high-end stores. http://uk.monsoon.co.uk
In my opinion, the shops above are all high order shops because the products are expensive and
wouldn’t be bought frequently. Example of an average Bose speaker would be $300 and for a
Monsoon dress it would cost 100 OMR.

For our Medium order shops we chose the following…

Firstly Adidas, a German multinational corporation, is the largest sportswear manufacturer in
Europe. En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas
A second medium order shop is H&M, a Swedish company, best known for its fast-fashion
clothing for men, women and children. Www2.hm.com/en_gb/index.html
Another example of a fashion medium order shop is Next, a British company, is the largest
clothing retailer by sales in the United Kingdom. En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_plc
Additionally, Claire’s, a retailer of accessories and jewelry primarily aimed towards girls and
women’s. Www.claires.com/
Furthermore, Mango is amongst the world’s largest global Textile-Apparel and Fashion
multinational chain, which was founded in Barcelona, Spain by Isak Andic and Nahman Andic
in 1984. Mango mainly deals in women fashion and clothing but also produces clothing lines
for Men. Www.fibre2fashion.com/aboutus/
Lastly, Promod a French chain of women’s fashion boutique started in 1975, deals in
affordable, easy to wear fashion. Www.promod.eu
In my opinion, the shops given in the paragraph above are medium order shops as they have a
reasonable price and are bought occasionally. Example of an average Mont Blanc perfume is $86
and an average Promod dress is 20 OMR.

To be continued onto the next page….

 We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

For our Low order shops we chose the following…

Firstly, Muscat Pharmacy one of the oldest Pharmacies in Oman. It also has the unique distinction of
being the largest Pharmacy in the Sultanate. Muscat Pharmacy has the resources and infrastructure to
obtain and stock products in warehouses in the best
conditions. Www.muscatpharmacy.net/home.htm
In addition, The Body Shop was founded by entrepreneur Dame Anita Roddick. The Body Shop are
constantly launching fabulous new products, sourcing new ingredients and campaigning on
social issues. Www.thebodyshop.com.au/about-us.aspx
Lastly GNC, was founded by David in 1935, GNC focuses on the retail sale of health and nutrition
related products, including vitamins, supplements, minerals, herbs, sports nutrition, diet, and energy
products.
In my opinion, all of the shops given in the paragraph above are low order shops as their price are quite
cheap and are bought quite frequently. Example of the cost of an average Body Shop moisturizer is $14
and the price of an average Muscat Pharmacy medicine is $1.50

To make our results as accurate as possible, instead of standing outside the shop and having a ruff
guess of the shops products, we went inside the shop looked at their products and looked at the
products price and customers in the shop.

If I was to do it again I would not count the number of people in the shop because customers don’t
tend to come to malls in the morning and if I were to count the number of people in the shop it
should be at the night as customers are more at night time.

We concluded that QCC a shopping arcade in the heart of the city characterized by its beautiful shops
houses, all high, medium and low order showrooms and cater to most of the basic needs and demands
in fashion, cosmetics, food and medicine. But majority of the shops are medium end, like adidas,
Mango, Promod, H&M, Aldo, Samsung, Next etc. as the products of these shops are affordable and
reasonable, and an eclectic mix of trendy and unique labels. An average person has the capacity to
buy these medium order products, rather than the high end products. This explains why they’re fewer
high order exclusive brands at QCC. So the above statement “The shops are mainly high order” is
wrong as QCC is dependable destination for affordable and mid range stuff.

My personal opinion is QCC is an impressive great place having an inspiring mix of fashion, retail
brands and restaurants offering everything a discerning buyer could possibly want.
 QCC provides facilities that are free to make the visitors shopping experiences more
pleasant.
Task 3: QCC is designed for convenience which attracts customer
How did you collect this information?
Why might the results not be 100% accurate (from your group or other groups)?
How would improve the collection of this data if you were to do it again?

QCC provides facilities that are free to make the visitors shopping experiences more pleasant.
Task 3: QCC is designed for convenience which attracts customer

QCC for sure is designed for convenience as we saw many examples of symbols outside majority of
the showrooms. Each symbol showing and exhibiting the products retailed in the showrooms.

We first saw a big red cross sign outside pharmacy situated on the ground floor, next door the
electronic showroom had a clear sign and symbols for the buyers. As we went up the first floor, on
the right hand side Monsoon and Mothercare retailers of clothing has nicely flaunted their fashion
accessories in order to attract the customers. Next door the M.I store displayed their apple emblem
very conspicuously. Another evident symbol was found on the AXA insurance showroom clearly
guiding the people to the insurance company, another noticeably marked showroom of interest
especially for teenagers was Geekay games where very beautifully an x-box gaming controller was
flashing through the glass in order to tempt the young customers. The Carrefour symbol also very
conveniently guides the eager customers to their destination. Another attraction of QCC for the
convenience for the customers is the free Wi-Fi throughout the mall. Customers can avail this free
service by sipping their favourite delicacies at the coffee shops.

According to me my results are 100% accurate as most of the showrooms are having clear symbols
of the products they’re selling and thus attracting the relevant customers. Other group’s results may
have skipped or overlooked the symbols and markings.

I would improve by including each and every showroom in my results though this time as well I tried
to cover all the shops.

From the above discussion we could conclude that QCC has all the required amenities and facilities
and is very clearly marked with appropriate symbols for the convenience and attraction of the
customers. Every age group can find their required stuff at categorically well marked stores and
outlets. A new comer or a tourist can very easily locate the outlet as they are clearly marked by
symbols thus making QCC a very popular destination for customers. Free Wi-Fi is an added
advantage which makes QCC a favourite place to spend some quality time.

In my opinion, QCC is a well-designed mall catering to the needs of most of the customers and
definitely designed for convenience.
We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

Frequency of workers

Western Other

Sub Continent

Omani

South East Asia

We wanted to find out how many workers in QCC are Omani and non-Omani, and
then categories the non-Omani workers into 4 new headings of South East Asia, Sub
Continent, Western and other.
Task 4: Most workers are non-Omani

We were to collect data about, the nationality of the workers of QCC. Therefore we
went through all the shops and had an educated guess of the nationality of the workers
(since we couldn’t ask the workers ourselves) and put them into five headings Omani,
South East Asia, Sub Continent, Western and other.

To make our observations as precise and accurate as possible, I had an educated guess
of the workers nationality from their culture, their dressing, the way they looked and
the language they spoke and the accent of English they had. All of these aspects of
their personality helped us in having a clear idea about the nationality of the workers.
In addition, to make my information exact I used tally charts as they are easier to
record on paper, instead of writing numbers as explained earlier in my project.

Other group(s) results may not have been 100% accurate because they may have not
gone through all the shops and when guessing the nationality of the workers, they may
have guessed a different nationality for the same person I recorded, as a result they
would have gathered and collected inefficient different data.

The collection of the data would be improved next time by directly asking the
concerned person his/her nationality which will make our data collection more
accurate.
We collected four sets of data in groups at QCC to prove if the statement below were correct or incorrect.

The given pie chart provides a comprehensive view of our survey regarding the nationality of the
workers at the various outlets at QCC. The evidence from this pie chart shows that that the majority of
workers of QCC are Omani nationals. Omani’s constitute 50% of the work force working on different
shops and showrooms, which is represented by a big chunk of green area in the pie chart. All other
categories account for the rest 50%. During our survey we counted 51 employees working in different
outlets. Out of the fifty-one surveyed employees, twenty-six were non-Omani’s and twenty-six were
Omani’s. Further the non-Omani staff was categorised into four different categories i.e. Sub Continent
(9 in number, which includes Indian, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans), South East Asia (12 in number, which
includes Philippines and Thais), Western (3 in number, which includes European and American) and
other (1 in number, which includes Africans).

From the above breakdown of nationalities illustrated on the pie chart, it could be concluded that
Omani’s represent a big slice of work force in QCC. This could be attributed to the fact that Omani
government is pledged to the omannization drive aimed at increasing the percentage of Omani skilled
workers and thus it is obligatory to employ local Omani’s in order to reduce countries dependence on
expats man power. Among other nationalities South East Asian’s, Indians and Pakistanis constitute the
major numbers. Further the statement that the majority of the work force is non-Omani is incorrect to
some extent as it is clear from the data given in the pie chart, Omani’s and non-Omani’s are represented
equally.

In my opinion, as a general rule as well, as seen throughout Oman, Omani staff is more as compared to
other nationalities. Similar trend was seen at QCC.