1. The store that I observed for this project was Pacific Sunwear, more commonly known as Pacsun. This store primarily markets to 15 to 22 year olds. Pacsun sells clothes that fit into California beach culture, and is known as a surf and skateboard shop. The store particularly targets males with its marketing, since it sells products with big brand names, including Hurley, Volcom, and Billabong.
2. a) From the outside, Pacsun had a very inviting appearance. The store had a large, bright yellow electric sign that truly put the "sun" in Pacsun. The front of the store had very large paned windows with black metal framing, and it was clear that the entire store was visible and well lit, which showed shoppers exactly what the store was selling. A store that takes the reverse approach is Hollister. The inside of this store is very dark, and when a shopper walks by the front of the store, all that he or she can see is a bench, a fake palm tree, wood paneling, two mannikins, and a large advertisement.
b) Once inside Pacsun, the shopping experience was very positive. The store was playing alternative music by artists such as Weezer and Something Corporate. The music was quiet enough so that a conversation could be held at a normal volume, but loud enough that it was audible throughout the entire store, including in the changing rooms.
c) Pacsun used numerous means to display its clothes, including shelves and hanging racks on the walls, tables, benches, and standing racks. It was interesting that hats with flashy brand names were located at the back of the store on shelves that were stacked up to the ceiling. This created an interesting visual effect and drew attention to the brands and logos on the hats. Clearance items were hung on racks toward the back store. A large number of tee-shirts, v-necks, and graphic tees were displayed on tables and benches that ran from the front of the store all the way to the back. The shirt display was slightly messy and chaotic, since people unfolded the shirts and put them back without refolding them. The tables also had compartments below the main display level, which gave the impression of a massive amount of merchandise and countless possibilities. Finally, the store was also selling brightly colored headphones, which were dispersed on tables and counters throughout the store.
d) The floors at this store were smooth, dark brown/gray stone. This material was not perfectly uniform, so some areas were darker than others, while others swirled different shades of browns and grays. The floors were very earthy and organic, and helped bring the natural elements into the store.
e) Signs were an important part of the store. There were many signs on the walls, most of which showed pictures of bikers, skateboarders, surfers, and the ocean. All of the advertisements had a summery feel, since they were set in sunny climates. Many models were also wearing sunglasses. The advertisements displayed the big brand names mentioned above, as well as others like Vans, Fox, and O'Neill. Finally, there were many brightly colored, highly contrasting signs advertising special deals, including two pairs of jeans for 55 dollars.
f) The cashier area at Pacsun was located in the very middle of the store, and was designed so that the cashiers were positioned facing the entrance/exit of the store. The cashier counter was long, horizontal, and was not closed in on the back, which allowed the cashiers to step out from behind the counter to help customers. The counter was made of glass, and had shelves beneath it containing headphones and cologne. It was interesting that a sample of cologne was also on top of the counter for customers to try, but that it was not sprayed around the entire store: a strategy employed by other stores like Hollister and Abercrombie.
3. The image that this business was trying to project was young, casual, California beach. The store seemed to specialize in v-knecks, skinny jeans, striped and fitted longe-sleeves, and brightly colored hoodies. There were also many plaid shirts and flannels. Many of the clothes were made out of thin, clingy materials. Pacsun also seemed to be trying to set itself apart from preppy stores like American Eagle, Aeropostale, Abercrombie, and Hollister. This was particularly evident in the girls' clothes, which consisted of darker, natural colors, including greens, dark blues, grays, and browns. Many of the girls' clothes were not skin tight and revealing, but rather seemed low effort and low maintenance. While trying to separate itself from preppy competitors, the store also kept its distance from more dingy, rebellious stores like Hot Topic. Through its bright lighting and welcoming displays, Pacsun did a good job of not scaring away shoppers. They made it seem like there was something for everyone at the store.
4. The most noticeable way that customers interacted with the store design was by picking up tee-shirts that were folded on tables and shelves, and putting them back unfolded. Most of the tee-shirts that were sold were a combination of cotton and polyester, and thus had very soft, smooth textures that were comforting to the touch. As a result of all the touching and picking up, the tee-shirt section of the store was slightly disorganized and cluttered. In addition, the prominent hat display at the back of the store acted like a magnet that drew shoppers all the way back into Zone 4. Most shoppers started at the front of the store, looking through shirts and pants, and slowly worked their way back toward the brand name hats. The changing rooms and all of the sale items were also located in the back of the store, so it seemed like the majority of the shoppers spent most of their time in the back half of Pacsun.
5. I found it very interesting that Pacsun sold and displayed cologne on the cashiers' counter, but that the smell of cologne was not detectable anywhere within the store. This was an interesting strategy, and seemed to be deliberately standing in contrast to competitor stores like Hollister. I noticed this contrast in other ways, including bright lighting. It was also interesting that although Pacsun is in many ways a warm climate beach store, they do not use sex to sell their products. Hollister and Abercrombie fill their stores and advertisements with images of undressed or undressing teenagers. As a surf shop, Pacsun could definitely get away with using sex appeal to market its products, but this was a strategy that the store avoided. Instead of sex appeal, Pacsun relied on brand-appeal, a strategy more effective with males than females. Finally, I noticed that Pacsun seems to target males much more than females, and that most of the shoppers in the store were males. I recall from the Norman article that a men's store should be long and narrow, which fits the description of Pacsun. Belts were also located very close to the changing room and pants area, just like Paco Underhill described. However, it was interesting that the men's section was on the left, while the women's section was on the right of the store. The Norman article talked about the invariant right, which was the shopper's natural inclination to look to the right. Since Pacsun primarily targets males with its advertising, it might be more logical to put the men's section on the right and the women's section on the left.
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