Crash course on creativity assignment
- 1. CRASH COURSE ON CREATIVITY ASSIGNMENT AKUA OBENG-DWAMENA TOPIC: PAYING ATTENTION OBSERVATION 1: MELCOM SHOPPING CENTRE Melcom Shopping Centre is a big retail store with branches in Accra and other regions in Ghana. I visited the Accra central branch of the store. Before you enter, the store draws you in with the doors widely open. The sign lettering is very big and is visible 2 kilometers away. The color scheme of the store is white and brown. The store has a high ceiling with ceiling fans and is well lit. This makes it possible to see the various products and distinguish between colors of products. The environment is loud with individual traders outside the store, shouting to attract pedestrians to their wares. In addition, there is music playing from a television on display in another corner of the store which is loud thus making the environment more noisy. It is warm inside the store because the weather is hot outside. Many people can be seen walking into the store. The store is crowded with merchandise and people. The smell in the store is that of popcorn which can be attributed to the fact that there is a popcorn vender in one corner of the store. At the entrance is the cash register. The store security is very visible in that there are security men at the entrance and inside the store, a police woman and visible security cameras. I do not want to stay in the store for long because at this point in time I have been cautioned by the security men not to take pictures in the store because it is not allowed though I had asked for permission to do so. I realize after spending 10 minutes in the store that I am being observed. The environment influences the perceived value of the merchandise. This is so in that how visible the store security is is a measure to dissuade people from stealing the store’s valuable merchandise. With the sales personnel, it does not take long to initiate contact because they are many, a ratio of 5:1 which cater for the large numbers of customers. Salespersons have uniforms and
- 2. this gives them a good image which matches the store’s image. They do not have a script to follow with each customer. It is not evident that the salespersons treat different customers differently in that they barely look up or at the face of the customers. They only check the items, mention the total price of items and give receipts. The employees are between the ages of twenty and fifty. The first product I notice is powdered soap which can be found on a central display table. There are no free samples/demonstrations and the items that are least accessible in the store are furniture, kitchen items like plates, cutlery sets and bowls. Again the least expensive products are found on the first floor of the store whiles the most expensive items are found on the second floor. Prices are easy to find for some products and not all. Most customers are alone. Customers: The average age of customers is about 25 years most of whom are female. When customers enter, they do not walk in the same path or direction as most appear to be on a mission. Customers stay in the store on an average of ten minutes. Customers are encouraged to touch the items and 60% of customers purchase products in the store.
- 3. OBSERVATION 2 AFRICAN WEAR STORE This store is also located in the central business district of Accra. It is a small store where African shirts and trousers for both males and females are sold. Before you enter the store, the store draws you in because of the various designs on the mannequins displayed at the entrance of the store. The floor of the store has been carpeted. The sign lettering is not as big as that of Melcom Shopping Centre because of the small size of the store. Environment: Inside the store is painted white with various clothing hanging on the wall in display as well as on mannequins inside the store. The environment is noisy because of the presence of hawkers outside shouting to attract buyers to their wares. Music can be heard in the store from across the street making the environment noisy. It is warm in the store because the fans are off. The cash register is located at the entrance of the store. There is however no store security because this is a smaller store. I would want to stay long in this store because the salespersons are very friendly and are eager to take me round to see their various designs. Personnels: Customers are met with smile at the entrance of the store by the salespeople. The salespersons do not have a script to follow with each customer. I was treated nicely by the salespersons but since I was the only customer there as at that time I cannot tell how a different person would be treated though I can only guess. The employees are between the ages of twenty five and thirty. The salespeople do not use the store products and they do not have a uniform as well. The salespeople match the store’s image in that since they sell African designs they wear African clothes and hairstyles. Products: The first product I notice is a mannequin in an embroided African shirt and trousers to match. There is a case where African jewelry is displayed. The products are arranged by price. Clothing for females are arranged outside whiles those for males are arranged inside the store. The prices are mentioned by the salespeople, they are not attached to the clothings or jewelry. There are no impulse items near the cash register
- 4. Other observations I made was that the clothings for sale were displayed haphazardly making the store look disorganized. Also, there were items like pieces of cloths or materials lying around which in my opinion should be kept in a store room. Again the store was lit by daylight and not lights inside, in other words the lights were off as at the time I was there.
- 5. OBSERVATION 3 DIBSONS ENTERPRISE LIMITED This store is also located in Accra. Electronic appliances such as refrigerators, cookers, fans (both ceiling and standing) just to mention a few are sold in this store Before I enter the store, the store does not draw me in because the entrance is crowded by merchandise. This gives me a feeling that inside the store is crammed. The lettering on the sign is big. The sign also has the brands of the merchandise sold in the store, probably a way to attract more customers especially those with whom brands matter when buying goods. Environment The walls have been painted white with polished tile floors. This serves to give the store a classy look and serves to brighten the environment with the reflection of the light on the tile surface. The ceiling is not very high adding to the cramming of the store. The environment is loud from noise from hawkers busily calling out for customers, noise made by passing vehicles and by loud music being played nearby. There is a high temperature inside the store due to its low ceiling as well as merchandise crowded inside and at the entrance of the store. The cash register is located in the middle of the store. Store security is not visible. I would not want to stay longer in this store because of high temperatures inside the store. Personnel: I am met outside by one salesperson inviting me to come inside to have a look at the items inside. The salesperson does not have a script to follow and does not treat different customers differently. Employees are mostly male between the ages of twenty years and fifty years. Some products, specifically the fans have been used in the store. The sales persons do not have uniforms. Products: the first product I notice is an electric cooker. There is no central display table with featured products. There are demonstrations of some of the electrical appliances especially to interested customers. Items in least accessible locations in the store include blenders and irons. The most or least expensive products are not located in a particular place. They are dispersed as items are displayed by function and not by prices. Prices of goods inside the store are easy to find but those displayed outside have to be quoted by the salespersons. There are no impulse items displayed.
- 6. Customers: Most customers are alone. The average age of customers is about thirty years and they are male in gender. When a customer enters the store, they tend to walk in the same path because of the arrangement of items in the store. Customers stay in the store fifteen minutes on average. Customers touch the products and it is encouraged by the salespeople. The customers mainly appear to be browsing. About forty percent of customers purchase products in the store.
- 7. OBSERVATION 4 ADWENE PA PHONES Adwene Pa Phones is a store located in Makola, Accra. Phones, digital cameras and accessories are sold there. Before you enter the store the store does not draw me in because it is a bit dark inside as the lights are not lit though the doors are open. The sign I believe is not big because the store is not big. Environment: The walls of the store are painted white with tiled floors. The ceiling is not very high which contributes to making the inside of the store dark. The lights in the store as of the time I was there was off. The environment is noisy because of vehicles passing by on the streets. There is also music playing nearby. The store is warm because the fans are off. The store is crowded to the extent that merchandise is being displayed on the floor as well. The cash register is located at the far end of the store. There is no visible store security. I would want to stay longer perhaps for twenty minutes in this store because there are a wide range of phones and accessories to choose from. Personnel: I get into contact with a salesperson at the entrance of the store. They do not have scripts to follow with each customer. Salespeople do not treat different customers differently. The ratio of salespeople to customers is 2:1. All the salespeople are males who are between the ages of twenty-five to fifty years. The salespeople do not have a uniform. They are dressed casually. Products: the first product I notice is a phone case. The central display case has featured products such as Android phones, Touch Pads and Laptops. The phones are arranged by model whiles the accessories are arranged by function. At eye level are phones. The items located at the least accessible locations are older mode of phones. The most expensive products are located in the central display case whiles the least expensive are in the shelves. The prices are easy to find on price stickers on the various items. The impulse items are displayed near the central display case.
- 8. Customers: Customers were mostly alone. Most of the customers were male as at the time I was in the store and were 25 years on average. Customers stay in the store on an average of fifteen minutes. Customers who enter the store walk the same path or direction, that is to speak to the salespersons. Customers do not touch the products because they are in glass cases. Unless they insist on seeing it out of the glass case they do not touch the products Customers appear to be browsing. 40% of customers purchase products in the store. Other observations I made is the large number of the salespeople though the store is small in size. Unfortunately, recently, investigative journalists have been exposing certain malpractices by some stores in Ghana and so this has made store owners reluctant in allowing people to take photographs. In fact anyone who wants to take a picture inside the store appears suspicious and so would stop anyone who attempts to do that. I was stopped by security men in the first shop I entered because I wanted to take pictures. This accounts for the reason why I couldn’t take up- close pictures of the products as well as taking just four of the six required number of shops. Thank you.