Location Research
Nike Town
This Experience was fully immersive, constantly showing the buyer where and when their products might me used. The mannequins enable the viewers to imagine themselves doing such activities in their products and it presents them with an ideal view of how these activities are meant to be carried out. The floating mannequins/ half mannequins make the experience almost surreal as there would never be people running in mid air. However the viewer therefore gets to see the product and the way in which it would be used from all different angles.
In this shopping complex there was also an area where the customers could try out their products and imagine themselves as much as possible being in the environment where they might need this equipment. The customers are therefore more able to evaluate their need or desire for the product and make a more certain decision on wether to buy it or not.
The Apple Store
The stores are also set up so that the customer is directed through the shop by the pathway of trees that draw you in. Underneath each tree there is also a seat to allow shoppers to rest and spend more time in the shop or to think about their purchase. I also noticed that there is a huge contrast between man and nature as the highly digitalised items that Apple sell seem to be apart of this very green landscape. This perhaps suggests that Apple products and phones in particular are almost as common as trees, leading the customers to buy these items in order to keep up with the rest of society.
This narrative experience or shopping environment that is created therefore works well to draw customers in and encourage them to buy the products.
In this shop it was interesting to see how the brand has utilised the space they have to its pull potential by displaying broken up images of their products on the stairs. As the buyer walks around the shop these visuals enhance their narrative experience, drawing attention to the fact that there is a second floor to explore. It therefore temps them to look around more of the shop, increasing the chances of them buying something from there.
The brightly coloured florals on the walls also seem to transport the visitor into an almost fantasy environment which seems to be very much in keeping with the theme of the brand. Their products seem to be directed at a very particular audience outside of the main stream fashion trends and by surrounding the buyer with this almost surreal environment, interested customers may feel a sense of belonging more then they would in any of the other regular hughstreet stores. As a result they maybe more inclined to make a purchase as their preferred style is more deeply affirmed.
Walking into the ChoccyWoccyDooDah shop the visitor is tempted in by this dark and mysterious environment. Obviously the main attraction is the chocolate but unlike any other chocolaterie they have used well known stories to base the designs of the cakes on such as Alice in Wonderland. The colours of the walls and the elements of the different cakes also seem to share the same kind of colour palette, exposing the viewer to this almost otherworldly gothic environment.
On the website of the brand it also seems to pride itself on it's "secret spaces" which is definitely something that was very unexpected when exploring the shop as I didn't expect to find a cafe space upstairs.
In contrast to the smaller and almost cramped environment in ChoccyWoccyDooDah, Fortnum and Mason provided a much more spacious and open environment. As its purpose is to sell all things British the whole store was set up to look very posh and regal with spiral staircases and red carpets. This shop is very popular with tourists and therefore the environment has been designed so that it echos the inside of a palace and all things royal. The staff also added to this experience as they are all dressed in tail coats and addressed the visitors as sir and madame almost as if they were royalty and the staff were their to serve them. Although this was the case it was quite intimidating as I almost felt out of place.
Having said that I felt that they did create a very stereotypically "British" experience and within this there some smaller narrative environments, one being inspired by the tea party in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Having seen all these shops and how they use particular themes to make the environment cohesive and understandable, when creating our narrative experience it would be good to keep in mind a particular colour scheme or type of imagery from which the goal of the environment can be fully understood. This exploration of the different shopping experiences has made the importance of all sensory indicators to the overall understanding of the environment clear. When designing our own we can't only focus on sight but also, sound, smell, touch and even taste to enable the viewer to engage better with the environment and the topic we are trying to raise awareness for.
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