Just came back from Hong Kong a few days ago (hence the lack of posts), and what else do you do in Hong Kong apart from shop? Yep, I have to admit that I'm one of the few males that likes to shop. There I said it.
And after spending 3 weeks there, it is quite obvious how far ahead their retail sector is compared to Melbourne - shops are open til late everyday (hell, I could even go shopping right after the new year ticked over), and the staff there actually know what they're selling. Most of the worldwide brands also have stores there (noticeably missing is Apple). You'd also be hard-pressed to find a decent store that hasn't invested in some kind of design to make their store fit-out unique. And some chains even go as far as having a unique design for each store, keeping central themes running through.
They've even managed to make one of the more boring type of stores in my opinion, supermarkets, interesting, with a decent-looking store design, unique products and rarely found products (e.g. overseas specialities), exhibition spaces that rotate promoters all the time, and sales of goods that are actually related to food, e.g. kitchenware, homeware, recipe books, not TVs. I can't imagine Coles or Safeway ever doing that though; some of the organic food stores are getting started - Wholefoods isn't too bad.
Hong Kong also has an interesting trend rarely seen here - it is not uncommon for the same store to open multiple outlets on the same streets, a few shops away from each other to try and catch you attention when you make that split-second decision. To a lesser extent, even top boutique stores like Prada and LV have multiple outlets in HK, not within the same street, but given the size of Hong Kong compared to Melbourne, they may as well be.
But all this said, there are still certain things that irk me when shopping, especially at clothing shops.
Do I secretly like cross-dressing?
Is it that hard for clothing and accessory shops to make it obvious where the male section is, so guys don't inadvertently go and check out chick's clothing when they walk into a store, only to be told by the staff that it's a female jacket when you want ask for your size?
I've lost count of the number of stores I've had to stand out the front and work out where the male section is (if there is one) before walking in. And if I can't work it out, I give up and move on to the next store - simple as that.
Stores with dark lighting and decoration definitely don't help. And it isn't just a matter of picking the left side or right of the store - you're lucky if it was that simple. Apparently, the new trend is to mix the sections together, so one second you could be browsing a rack of male clothing, then the next a rack of female clothing with no sign.
Some stores try to make it easy by placing someone out the front to direct you to the right section, but that's kind of offensive if you ask me - no one likes to admit they need help working out the difference between male and female clothing.
I'm not asking for massive signs out the front that point to the male and female sections (although I wouldn't mind); some kind of subtle message would be fine. Maybe a shade of pink/red on the female section, and a shade of blue on the male section. Or photos of males modelling clothes in the male section, and vice-versa in the female section. Just something obvious enough. Please.
What the hell does this actually look like?
The recent trend of folding up t-shirts/shirts/jackets and everything else and placing them on shelves drives me up the wall. Who the fuck buys something based on only seeing a small part of it?
I could just pick it up and have a look right? Ok, maybe it's just me, but when everything in the store is all neatly folded, I feel really bad picking something up, knowing that I have no clue how to fold it back the way it was (especially if it's folded in some retarded way). In fact, I'd rather not look at it at all sometimes.
Are the staff there really that bored that they need something as monotonous as folding clothes to do all day? Or is that the manager's sick way of getting value out of their employees...
So just for kicks, I went into the local esprit in Hong Kong, and proceeded to look at every single folded thing there. To say the least, I was clearly not welcome there again any time soon...
BRING BACK THE CLOTHING RACKS. Maybe they looked a bit daggy, but they worked. People could check out the entire piece of clothing, and if they like it, take it off the hanger for a better look. Then, if they decide against it, just put the hanger back on it (everyone can do this), and hang it back up. Simple. Revamp the clothing rack design if you want, but bring them back.
This was something Target did right, although I haven't been in one recently so don't know if they've succumbed as well.
For 6-foot-10 people only.
I'm sick of stores that place things beyond what a normal person can reach. And no, I'm not midget-sized. If your store's out of room, make room elsewhere, or rotate your stock more frequently.
Besides, stock that's up so high is pretty useless anyway, given many people don't look up when they shop, and when they see it, they have to get a member of staff to get it down for them, who often can't reach it themselves. And when you do finally have it in your hands, there's a small sense of obligation to buy it, because you've made the staff member go to extra lengths to get it for you, and he/she is standing next to you, observing your every move.
I've actually seen someone rip the entire clothing rack down because they couldn't unhook the hanger from the rail - serves the damn store right.
This is more applicable in Hong Kong because of space limitations, but I'm beginning to see it here too.
Get the hell away from me, pervert.
I know you're probably not meeting your KPIs or your manager is breathing down your neck, but seriously, I don't care - let me look at the goods without you standing over me, or I'll walk out. This is especially worse if the store is empty - I tend to avoid them.
There's a fine line between being too attentive, and not attentive enough, as well as being helpful and being pushy. Good salespeople know where the line is, and when you can overstep it, but if you don't, then stay on the safe side, watch and learn.
For me, the best mix would be a nice welcome spiel (hi, how are you, discounts etc.), find out my interests (are you looking for anything particular...), then retreat far enough so that we're not within whispering distance but remain alert (not staring though) so that you're ready to help when I make eye contact. If I ask you something, then ignore you for a few minutes, retreat again. Short comments when I pick something up are ok too. And if I leave without buying anything; still acknowledge me and say something nice - just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I'm not coming back later.
Why is shopping so hard? Its not like the people who work at or manage clothing/accessory stores don't shop themselves. Maybe they're just too sucked into their own world, where just because everyone else is doing it means they should too. If only they'd reflect on their own shopping experiences and make their store better... maybe it won't increase sales three-fold, but people will notice, and subtle changes matter.
Bonus point -
Just thinking of the retail experience got me thinking about receipts. It's the one thing that everyone who buys something at your store gets, so why is it also one of the most boring and neglected bits of paper, where every one almost looks identical in design?
Why don't stores spruce them up, inject a bit of colour, make them distinctive, and maybe even helpful (e.g. clothes cleaning tip, sales reminder) to the customer, so it serves as a reminder of their experience at the store. And no, I don't mean crappy shop-a-dockets. Just because it's a legal document doesn't mean it can't look good. After all, it is effectively the business card to your store that all your actual customers get.
Sounds like an idea I reckon... interfacing with the POS systems in use won't be fun though, especially the ancient custom ones stuck in the terminal era.
UPDATE (29/01/2008): fixed typo in title.