1. Gibbs has lots of criteria for evaluating a Main Street. One of the first points he lists is whether or not a “generator” store exists. This is a type of store that will attract a lot of other businesses to the area. The example he provides in the article is a gym, which will lead to the development of other athletic stores in the area and possibly even health food stores. Thus, a good “generator” is able to attract not only customers but also businesses. This leads into another one of his points that stores must be clearly visible and nothing should exist to distract customers. The location of trees, benches, garbage cans, and other things need to be strategically placed or factored into the design of the store. Gibbs also talks about the price-point-to-aperture ratio. This has to do with the window display of the store and its size and features. Big window displays generally indicate a store that sells cheaper products whereas smaller windows are used in stores that sell more expensive products. These smaller windows draw the attention of customers that are curious and want to see more about the store. Stores must also follow what Gibbs says is the cardinal rule: keep shoppers’ eyes on the merchandise at all times. In malls, the winding paths ensure that customers are always looking at a store in front of them. Stores should therefore advertise well to capture the interest of the customers. The shoppers should feel safe in the shopping area and overall have a positive experience. There are stores that people simply enjoy visiting because of the atmosphere, and all stores should strive to provide this environment.
2. I believe that Main Street should not be a mall. There is a different appeal to Main Street and malls that cannot be reconciled into one entity. Malls can sometimes be very crowded, especially around holiday seasons, and many people simply do not like this environment. People may prefer to amble through the street in and out of a wide variety of stores. There also tends to be more independence in stores on Main Street because they are not part of a collective mall. This allows customers to have a more true experience with the vendor.
3. Criteria for evaluating Main Street:
a. Accessibility – is the store easy for customers to get to. Are there enough parking spaces to support the maximum capacity of the store? Is the store located in a place that most people would go to? Are stores visible and products being sold well displayed in the windows? (Should be able to go “window shopping”)
b. First glance – how does the place look if somebody were driving by? Everything should be rather aesthetically appealing and inviting to customers. Aesthetics can be defined by naturalness such as trees or artistic objects.
Variety of stores – can people walk around and find a nice mix of stores to explore
No comments:
Post a Comment