As a student living on campus and having no car to drive I personally feel as if convenience is key when it comes to shopping. Retail locations around campus are situated in such an array of ways. There are small business owners with loyal clientele and then there are franchises situated not too far away. One of the most convenient stores in the area is the local Walgreens. Walgreens is a chain of pharmacy stores which also provides the convenience of a grocery store and other specialty goods. This particular Walgreens is a stand alone establishment at the intersection of a busy street in town.
Its location is a very important aspect of its success. There is a very heavy flow of vehicle traffic because of the intersection and an even decent amount of pedestrian and foot traffic. The students and individuals living on and around campus are able to walk to Walgreens in little time. Sometimes the aspect of traffic can be a little startling to pedestrians but I feel as if great caution is taken at the crossing point in the road. Needless to say that there are not any places on campus to buy personal goods and snacks for the dorm room, its just that Walgreens provides a greater amount of variety and better prices. This location has a large parking area which is seldomly filled. I am not going to go as far to say that I think the parking lot is too big, I just see it as being utilized at different times of the day. When I usually go there I see 5-10 cars and its generally mid day at the time.
I think this Walgreens has a very nice location, especially because it caters to my personal needs and conveniences by being close to campus. I can go there to buy items that I can not find in the Spartan Market or C-store and at a better price.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
the recession will HUFF, PUFF, and BLOWWW your business down!
-recession:noun: the state of the economy declines; a widespread decline in the GDP and employment and trade lasting from six months to a year
For some time now the word recession has been lingering in the ears of many Americans both great and small. The current recession has caused a great number of important economic institutions to shut down, file bankruptcy, or decrease in size. When this happens business' have to lay off workers and employees because they are no longer collecting enough revenues to pay them. When that happens, these workers also carrying the title as consumer no longer have the steady amount of funds to efficently execute their task of consuming goods. The lack of money from consumers affects retailers and other institutions because purchases are harder to make and people start making wiser decisions when it concerns their money.
With the business of retailing comes the great amount of competition in the industry. A recession increases this factor and the retailers not appealing to the most customers usually loses the race. It can be hard to witness a retailer which has done business for many years fold or dissapear due to the hard times of a recession. One of the several iconic retailers which has recently filed for bankruptcy, liquidated most to of all of its merchandise and closed all of its stores is electronic goods store Circuit City.
After reading some material online about Circuit City and its fate with the recession I feel the retailer failed mostly because the quality of their merchandise was not very high, their customer service was insufficient, and they were not able to provide reasonable prices to budget concious customers. The Circuit City company also layed off many of its workers with work experience and knowledge essential to the company. This hurt the company greatly because Circuit City stores were now staffed with underpaid and unexperienced individuals. This action did not appeal to customers so they began to look for merchandise elsewhere, like major competitor BEST BUY.
Overall, Circuit City lost its standing as an equitable and reliable retailer. Losing customers in store and online, and suffering great loss in valuse of stock put the icing on the cake for the departure of this company from the world of retailers.
http://news.cnet.com/say-good-bye-to-circuit-city/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/10/news/companies/circuit_city/index.htm?postversion=2008111008
For some time now the word recession has been lingering in the ears of many Americans both great and small. The current recession has caused a great number of important economic institutions to shut down, file bankruptcy, or decrease in size. When this happens business' have to lay off workers and employees because they are no longer collecting enough revenues to pay them. When that happens, these workers also carrying the title as consumer no longer have the steady amount of funds to efficently execute their task of consuming goods. The lack of money from consumers affects retailers and other institutions because purchases are harder to make and people start making wiser decisions when it concerns their money.
With the business of retailing comes the great amount of competition in the industry. A recession increases this factor and the retailers not appealing to the most customers usually loses the race. It can be hard to witness a retailer which has done business for many years fold or dissapear due to the hard times of a recession. One of the several iconic retailers which has recently filed for bankruptcy, liquidated most to of all of its merchandise and closed all of its stores is electronic goods store Circuit City.
After reading some material online about Circuit City and its fate with the recession I feel the retailer failed mostly because the quality of their merchandise was not very high, their customer service was insufficient, and they were not able to provide reasonable prices to budget concious customers. The Circuit City company also layed off many of its workers with work experience and knowledge essential to the company. This hurt the company greatly because Circuit City stores were now staffed with underpaid and unexperienced individuals. This action did not appeal to customers so they began to look for merchandise elsewhere, like major competitor BEST BUY.
Overall, Circuit City lost its standing as an equitable and reliable retailer. Losing customers in store and online, and suffering great loss in valuse of stock put the icing on the cake for the departure of this company from the world of retailers.
http://news.cnet.com/say-good-bye-to-circuit-city/
http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/10/news/companies/circuit_city/index.htm?postversion=2008111008
Friday, February 13, 2009
Consumer "types" according to VALS...
After reading the selection from the textbook and completing the VALS quiz online, I have come to the conclusion that the VALS types are typically accurate. The quiz categorized me as an EXPERIENCER and a STRIVER. I agree with the assessment completly. The VALS types really distinguish the characteristics of different consumers and entails them into a unique noun. The types seem to have been researched and tested several times. This would explain how the descriptions tend to be accurate in a non cliche' sense.
The person our group characterized was an Abercombie & Fitch customer. Usually young, preppy, and attractive. In my opinion an A&F customer type would be an experiencer and a believer. Sometimes it can be difficult to assess the type of a particular customer because of varying lifestyles and or mentalities.
The VALS types are also a good compilation of personality types if you ask me. They not only define how people may shop but the reasons as to how and why they shop the way they do. When I read my types I was amazed at how dead on some of the details fit me personally. I think it would be a good idea for busniesses to study the VALS types because that could essentially give them a look inside their potential customers heads and allow them to create ways to appeal to them even more.
https://blackboard.uncg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_27212_1
https://blackboard.uncg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_27212_1
The person our group characterized was an Abercombie & Fitch customer. Usually young, preppy, and attractive. In my opinion an A&F customer type would be an experiencer and a believer. Sometimes it can be difficult to assess the type of a particular customer because of varying lifestyles and or mentalities.
The VALS types are also a good compilation of personality types if you ask me. They not only define how people may shop but the reasons as to how and why they shop the way they do. When I read my types I was amazed at how dead on some of the details fit me personally. I think it would be a good idea for busniesses to study the VALS types because that could essentially give them a look inside their potential customers heads and allow them to create ways to appeal to them even more.
https://blackboard.uncg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_27212_1
https://blackboard.uncg.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_27212_1
Sunday, February 8, 2009
About Them
Many successful endeavors start out essentially as an idea, usually to improve or enhance an existing concept. The task of starting a new business to compete with a leading establishment involves risk and failure but with a fresh take on something old and the perfect target market, why not take the chance…
The Pacific Sunwear chain of stores started as a small surf shop in Newport Beach, California in 1980. Like the other shops they catered to the needs of the local young surfers by selling boards and wax. But the owners of a particular shop noticed a dramatic drop in sales and clientele during the winter seasons, mainly because the surfers didn’t favor that season as “fun in the sun”. The owners came up with the great idea of moving their shop from the shore to inside the most popular mall locations in California.
They opened their first store in 1981, in the Santa Monica Place. The event was widely appreciated and welcomed by the industry. The chain of stores quickly grew from one store to seven stores and an impressing twenty one stores in 1987. These stores graced the most prominent locations up and down the west coast. Another happening during this time were the appearance of surf wear clothing brands being developed by individuals that shopped at the PacSun stores. PacSun began carrying these brands in their stores and they sold extremely well. The locals adored them because the looks fit their interests and lifestyles.
Sure enough with their extreme success on the west coast, Pacific Sunwear decided to open stores on the east coast. The company quickly realized that the east coast wasn’t too interested in gear that screamed “surfs up”! The difference in climate meant that the clothes PacSun carried weren’t really going to sell. The brands they sold readily adapted to the style change and business began to boom. They were now selling long sleeved shirts and pants. During 1993 the chain had grown to 60 stores.
The Pacific Sunwear company gives much credit to the people whom buy their merchandise for their success. Especially the youth! Many young individuals have helped inspire the company to make important moves in the industry such as following trends and letting them know what works and what doesn’t. Today the Pacific Sunwear company owns 859 stores and 76 outlets. The rest as they say is history!
The Pacific Sunwear chain of stores started as a small surf shop in Newport Beach, California in 1980. Like the other shops they catered to the needs of the local young surfers by selling boards and wax. But the owners of a particular shop noticed a dramatic drop in sales and clientele during the winter seasons, mainly because the surfers didn’t favor that season as “fun in the sun”. The owners came up with the great idea of moving their shop from the shore to inside the most popular mall locations in California.
They opened their first store in 1981, in the Santa Monica Place. The event was widely appreciated and welcomed by the industry. The chain of stores quickly grew from one store to seven stores and an impressing twenty one stores in 1987. These stores graced the most prominent locations up and down the west coast. Another happening during this time were the appearance of surf wear clothing brands being developed by individuals that shopped at the PacSun stores. PacSun began carrying these brands in their stores and they sold extremely well. The locals adored them because the looks fit their interests and lifestyles.
Sure enough with their extreme success on the west coast, Pacific Sunwear decided to open stores on the east coast. The company quickly realized that the east coast wasn’t too interested in gear that screamed “surfs up”! The difference in climate meant that the clothes PacSun carried weren’t really going to sell. The brands they sold readily adapted to the style change and business began to boom. They were now selling long sleeved shirts and pants. During 1993 the chain had grown to 60 stores.
The Pacific Sunwear company gives much credit to the people whom buy their merchandise for their success. Especially the youth! Many young individuals have helped inspire the company to make important moves in the industry such as following trends and letting them know what works and what doesn’t. Today the Pacific Sunwear company owns 859 stores and 76 outlets. The rest as they say is history!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
PacSun ROX!
During the last year of my high school career I went through a dramatic style change. I veered away from the preppy, schoolboy look I had grown to love to a more trendy and mature look. I will never set aside my obsession of preppy traditions of wearing bright colors and colligat
e apparel, just honing them in another way. One day I was strolling through the mall looking for an outfit to wear to an upcoming graduation celebration. I was looking for something urban, colorful, and unique. I was about to pass a store that had been in the mall for sometime but until this time it never appealed to me. The store was PacSun.
As I walked in, I was amazed at the inner surroundings of the store. The displays were arranged in a way that appealed to shoppers my age, the mannequins were wearing trendy looks and the clothes both folded and hanging were very different from items I usually wore. I was so excited to add something new and refreshing to my wardrobe. After shopping around and receiving some helpful advice from the employees I bought an outfit which I saw becoming a new and permanent look for me.
I consider PacSun to be my favorite retailer because the company, stores, and brands it carries cater to my personal style of dress. I generally like to wear clothes that allow me to mix th
em with other garments I own to create a unique look. My personal style comes from inspiration and ideas I see in current magazines and even outfits I've seen other people wear. Clothes in PacSun allow me to create looks which are versatile and acceptable in many environments. Clothes sold in PacSun also range in fairly affordable prices. Like any other store they carry items which are not the most budget friendly. These are usually staple garments such as coats, jackets, and hoodies. I really love the prices of PacSun's jeans. Generally their private label brands of jeans, Bullhead, are about $40 a pair. But they are always running the special on jeans at 2 pairs for $55. In my opinion this is a steal! High quality jeans in different fits, colors, and washes that are great for frequent casual wear and won't break the bank are ideal in my book. I have bought several pairs of jeans from PacSun and I always say I will not generally buy any other brand because they are just as trendy and coordinate with everything I wear.
PacSun also carries clothes that are cut in smaller sizes and trendier fits. I only wear their skinny jeans because I feel really comfortable in them and they also are not made to be worn by any and everyone. So I feel cool to be able to wear them successfully. For the longest time I wore straight legged jeans and jeans that were a larger size than I do now. Not because I weighted more or anything but just because that's how I had always dressed. When I tried on my first pair of skinny jeans, there wasn't an instant love connection but that isn't to say I did not fall in love with them. As of now I don't usually feel comfortable in any other type of jean. When I put on a pair of straight legged jeans they fell huge. LOL! But it generally depends on the waist size.
PacSun is highly favored in my "fashion book" because their clothes range in many different colors. I am a person that likes to express the way I'm feeling one day with a particular color and sometimes I just like to be different and wear an usual color that isn't seen often or ge
nerally worn by males. And this is why I love PacSun; the brand isn't afraid to try something different and risk it failing. Their colored denim is such a pleasure to see. Colored denim is a trend that has become very popular, very quickly but this trend usually only makes it to the closets of fashion forward people. Another important reason to be able to shop in a store that has a wider range of garments in various colors is that it enhances the chances of being able to coordinate an outfit successfully.
Lastly, I consider PacSun to be my favorite retailer because their stores occasionally give courtesy savings cards to their customers. During different times of the month, PacSun will give a customer a PacLoot card. This card is earned after a total of $50 dollars spent and it allows for a $25 dollar discount on a consecutive purchase of $50 dollars or more. Generally I use these cards when I want to buy jeans. And this is the reason I have so many. I will buy two pairs for $55 dollars, get a PacLoot card and then go back and purchase two more pairs for less than the original price of one pair!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)