Month: June 2018

Hello Kaitlyn

Yes, there is a clear thesis in this paper. I really did not see much noted about the” Science of Shopping” other than in the first paragraph and last paragraph. I would try and mention some of Paco’s ideas or beliefs to make a great retail business.  I love the amount of detail that you used in your essay. The detail really helped me picture the store as if I was standing right in the store with you. Yes, the essay is well organized and has a great flow from paragraph to paragraph.  

This week I observed the Walmart on route 44 Raynham MA. I do not think that Walmart follows Paco Underhill’s ideas when they designed their store.  

Paco uses a term called the “Decompression zone” to explain the differences between walking speed and shopping speed.  “Paco calls that area inside the door the Decompression Zone, and something he tells clients over and over again is never, ever put anything of value in that zone- not shopping baskets or tie racks or big promotional display- because no one is going to see it.” When you walk into Walmart the first thing you see is the shopping carts and can return center. Right after the shopping carts and can return area, you walk in the sliding doors. After the sliding doors you see the low-priced items that they are trying to push sales on. The items are on both sides of the walk way, with signs above tell you what the low prices are.  

Upon entering the store, I noticed the flow of traffic was very easy. The reason for the flow of traffic being easy is that the entry is wide open and clear. However, I cannot say the flow of traffic was so easy throughout the rest of the store. The atmosphere of the store was welcoming and friendly at first because you have the very happy greater. After you get past the beginning of the store the atmosphere is not as friendly, there were not many staff around to be friendly. Also, the other customers seemed to be worried about getting through the store.  

The design of the store seems to be the same in most Walmart’s. The lighting of the store seems to be well light. I could see everything I was looking at on the shelfs. The floors were very clean for the most part. The only section that was not clean in every section was a certain section in the grocery aisle. I would have to guess someone spilled something that was not cleaned up right away. When it comes down to pictures on the wall, I did not notice that many pictures. However, when you were in the boys and men’s section were the tee shirts are, I did notice there were pictures of the shirts to show you what they had for shirt designs. Other than that, there were TVs and price signs on the walls.  

We all have senses that we rely on every day to get through life. Those senses would be smell, taste, touch, sight, and hear.  When I entered Walmart, I noticed right away the smell of Subway and deep-fried food. I would have to guess that the deep-fried food smell would be from there hot and ready section and the subway smell would be from Subway right in the front of the store. The smell was so strong you could almost taste it. I think my boys would agree that it smells so good you just must get something to pick on walking around the store. The rest of the store really did not have much of a smell or taste in the air. While walking around Walmart I touched the carriage and any items I wanted to buy. While making my way through the store I saw customers walking around shopping, and sales people working. When I was walking around the store I heard people talking. I also heard the sales person over the intercom announcing information they felt important to let us know. Another sound you could hear walking around the store was the cash registers checking out customers.  

Walmart has a great display and store lay out. However, if I had to give Walmart any advice on changing one thing in the store, that would be to have the aisle a little bit wider. I agree with Paco’s theory of the “butt- brush theory” or also known as the ” le facteur bousculad, which holds that the likelihood of a woman’s being converted from a browser to a buy is inversely proportional to the likelihood of her being brushed on her behind while she’s examining merchandise. Touch – or brush or bump or jostle – a woman on the behind when she has stopped to look at an item and she will bolt.” I have been in Walmart a few times and I can’t tell you how many times I could not go down an aisle because it was too tight. I get very frustrated when I am looking at something a there is not enough room in the aisle for two people to move so we must squeeze by hoping not to hit carts. Another reason why tight aisle bothers me is because when I must push my carriage with my boys in it, and I cannot fit the carriage the store has done the aisle. I can honestly say that I have not purchased items because I could not get down the aisle or had to move for someone else to get by. Another change to the store I would make would have to be to make checking out a little bit easier.  Paco says that he monitored a store that had a hard time with tight aisles and long check-out lines. ” The screen shows people filtering in and of stores, petting and moving on, abandoning their merchandise because the checkout lines are too long, or leaving because they couldn’t fit their stroller into the aisle between two shirt racks.” I have watch people over the last couple of days leave their carts right in the aisle because the check-out line was too long, and they did not want to wait.  

Walking around Walmart the last couple of days I noticed more than I ever have before shopping there. I noticed that the store is not geared to any age or sex particularly. People who shop at the store can be dressed anywhere from casual to super dressed up for work. While observing who shopped at the store and what they wore I got to hear some of their conversations. One person I observed was all alone. As I watched her I noticed that she never stopped to talk to anyone and was in some sort of rush. She looked like she knew where everything she was looking for was. Next, I observed was a family, if I had to guess. They would speak anything from English to another language at some points. The difference from the last lady to this family was this family looked like they were just shopping around. They walked at a very moderate pace, talking to each other the whole time. They however did not talk to anyone but the people they were with. The last person I observed shopping was an elderly man. He was shopping alone; however, he did not think he was alone. This man-made conversation with anyone who was around him.  I watched him make conversation with other customers about how Walmart so big but for some reason he could not always find what he was looking for. He also was talking to a sales person about where they see them self in the future. He seemed to be very happy and positive person.  

I also got to observe some of the sales people at Walmart. I did not get to observe that many sales people because there were not that many around. I did end up finding a few sales people around the whole store. One of the sales people I seen was helping more than one customer find items they could not locate all by them self. I did sit there and wonder why she was the only one helping two people at once and if she called for help would anyone come to help her help these customers. After some more wondering around the store I ended up finding a group of people in the kid’s section having a conversation. While I was standing there trying not to look to obvious I heard them talking about work, the people they work with or how they do not agree with what is going on at work. I heard one of the woman in the group saying ” I was supposed to work on Sunday and get time an half but no they gave my shift to Nick. I heard that when he came to work he did not even work like I would have, he just walked around and talked to people the whole time. So, he got my overtime an didn’t even work but I work and I didn’t get my time. So, I might not help anymore, if that’s how they are going to treat me.” I laughed because we have all felt like that at one-point I’m just not sure if they should be having a conversation like that out in the open for anyone to hear.   

 

 

 

Work Cited 

“The Science OF Shopping” by  Malcolm Gladwell

Paco Underhill 

“Paco calls that area inside the door the Decompression Zone, and something he tells clients over and over again is never, ever put anything of value in that zone- not shopping baskets or tie racks or big promotional displays- because no one is going to see it.” Page-66 second paragraph 

” le facteur bousculad, which holds that the likelihood of a woman’s being converted from a browser to a buy is inversely proportional to the likelihood of her being brushed on her behind while she’s examining merchandise. Touch – or brush or bump or jostle – a woman on the behind when she has stopped to look at an item and she will bolt.”  page 67 fifth paragraph 

” The screen shows people filtering in and of stores, petting and moving on, abandoning their merchandise because the checkout lines are too long, or leaving because they couldn’t fit their stroller into the aisle between two shirt racks.” Page 69 sixteenth paragraph 

In the article “The Science of Shopping” by Malcolm Gladwell is explains how store can manipulate customers into buying more items. Paco Underhill has spent many years watching people shop and how to manipulate the design of the store. One theory Paco has come up with, is that you should never have your store near a bank. People usually walk by a bank rather fast, since there is nothing to look at. The person that is walking will most likely not slowdown in time to see you store. This idea is also referred to as the “Decompression Zone”, which means that when people are walking down the street or into a store they are at a walking speed and it takes some time to slow down to a shopper‘s pace. So basically, the very beginning of the store most people do not take in what‘s there because they are walking to fast. Another idea Paco has is that people are more likely to shop from the right side of the aisle after the decompression zone. Another piece of advice Paco would give to a store is that you should not have narrow aisles in the areas where women would shop because of the “brush-butt theory“. The “brush-butt theory” means that a woman is bumped or brushed on the butt while looking at something then she will walk away and not buy that item. The atmosphere of the store should be relaxing and not stressful. If a customer is stressed out when shopping they are less likely to buy. The sales clerk is there to try and sell more items but to still give the customer space to look and shop. So, they should be there to help but to not tell someone what to buy like back twenty plus years ago. However, in the end Paco must keep watching customers since people change and do not like to be tricked into buying items. 

I like how you went into detail about why you felt the way you did about the place you have lived all your life, even if they were not the best memory’s. I feel the main message of this essay is that you have not yet figured out what it feels like to live in a home because you believe that a home is somewhere you should feel safe.  

The structure of this essay is written well.  I get a clear understanding of when and how the events took place.  I would have to say that this essay was written I a serious tone. There is not I would change about this essay; however, I was left wondering if you were still living in this place you live. 

I do hope you bring awareness to abuse to people suffering from abuse.

There’s many events that happen to you in life. Sometimes you sit there and wonder if they will ever really change your life. Between heart break, death, career, and new places you have never been. Will you recover, will you give up, what’s next?  

Growing up I moved around a lot, but that doesn’t mean every place I lived felt like home to me. When I was really little I lived in an apartment in Everett MA. After that we moved with family in Brockton MA and then we moved into an apartment in Norton MA. In high school my family moved into a house in Berkley MA, finally I live in East Taunton MA now in my own home.  it did not matter where we lived or who we lived with we always had dinner as a family and I make sure my little family does this as well.  

When we lived in Everett MA. We lived in a rather large apartment. I love that apartment it did feel like home. We had a lot of space, so we were not living on top of each other. I remember all the rooms in the house were always sunny and bright. My mother would leave the windows open, so you could always have the wonderful smell of fresh cut grass. I lived with my mother and only sister, I would have to say we learned mostly everything from my mom since she was our only parent in the house,  

We moved to Brockton MA after that. This house did not really feel like a home to me the way the apartment did, and I think it would have to be there was more people in this house. However, it was nice sometimes to wake up and always have people around other than just my mom and sister. This house was a raised ranch style home. Unlike our old apartment there was not that much sun light that came through the windows and the windows were hardly open. The house always smelled of dog, which was not my favorite smell. We also did not have that much space of our own, since we had to share the house with other family members  

Next, we moved into an apartment in Norton MA, this apartment was the smallest place we had lived in. It was not a bad thing that the apartment was small because it was back to my mom, sister and myself living together with just each other and no one else. My mom again had the windows opened a lot which is something I always liked. However, there was not that much grass around this apartment so the smell of cut grass we still did not have.  I noticed my mom started to light more candle around the house more often and that was a nice change of smell. She liked to have fresh cut flower candles burning. After we moved into this apartment my now step father moved into this new apartment. That was big adjustment at first, but everything worked out for the best. Even with my new stepdad living with us I think this apartment had the feeling of home to me.  

After the Norton MA apartment we moved to Berkley MA into our own home with my mom step father and sister. This house felt like home to me, it was a new place, something that was just ours. When I say ours I mean my new whole family. We were happy, we had a nice size backyard to so whatever we wanted to do, without anyone saying anything. I got to have my own room, which was the biggest room I have ever been in, we also had a great size backyard with tons of grass and windows to open for the fresh smell of grass. This house was the last place my while family lived together, where my sister and I finished school and started to mature into young adults.  

The very last place I have lived is my own home in East Taunton with my little own family. This home feel like home because this is where I have started to raise my family, set my own rules, and decorate it the way my little family likes it. I did realize one thing after I moved out into my own place I still like to open my windows and have the smell of fresh grass like my mom use to do, the backyard in this home is nice a large with lots of green grass and space for our dogs we have now. 

With each home I have loved in it may not always seem or feel like home to me, but I have memory’s in every place. I have realized something that is the same in all the place I have lived and felt like home, I like to have my close family and the memory of cut grass is always my favorite. I’m not sure what’s next for me in the future, but I know with family close by it makes change a little easier. 

Hello Carrie, 

I would have to say that the place you lived in when you were growing up sounds beautiful and peaceful. Yes, I would have to say that you did follow the guidelines that was given to us. You also gave very detail-oriented information about a place you called home.  The general impression I get of the writers place it that it has a very beautiful quit little country atmosphere. Some of the statements that stood out and helped me with my impression was “All you could hear was the birds singing and little bunnies and chipmunks running in the woods nearby. “, “Everyone knew everyone in town.’, ‘we spent hours in the fresh air the smell of trees and flowers overwhelm you.’ I think you gave detail that made me feel like I was right in the place to were describing. Something I would absolutely like to see would be a picture of this beautiful place. 

 

Thank you,  

Kristin  

 

There’s a place I would like to someday call my home. That place would have to be Berlin, New Hampshire. The first time I stepped foot in Berlin was about three years ago with my boyfriend and then only child. Berlin, New Hampshire is a small town with very friendly people. It is a very family-oriented town as well. Aside from the people in Berlin, New Hampshire has amazing all-season views of the mountains from any place in town. With all the amazing views around the town, there is a lot of wild life, that I do not get to see where my home is located now. I can never forget the time we were on a trail and a moose came walking right out in front of us. That is a memory I could never or would never want to forget. As much as that is a dangerous experience for us and we were lucky it did not attack, it was an amazing site to see.  

Our now family of four loves going up north every year. We are a very out door family and Berlin has may outdoor activities. We enjoy being able to ride our ohrv machines (rzr) on their abundant trail system. We hope to be able to ride in New Hampshire for a long time, so we have rules that we try to teach our boys all the time. Some of the rules that we try to teach the boys are we follow the rules of the trails, like follow the speed limit, travel in the right direction, and respect all others who are riding along with you. Another major rule we try to teach them is for any outdoor activity is we do not litter ever. We tell them that if we litter we may not be able to ride their trails anymore. Also, we tell them how littering could hurt the animals and ruin the wonderful environment.  

Someday I plan to call Berlin, New Hampshire my home. My family plan on riding the trails and seeing the amazing views for many more years to come.

 

  

Growing up I did not really enjoy reading and writing. I received extra help in school because I struggled so much. I still struggle as an adult, but I have made great improvements. Over time I have realized that I prefer to use paper and pen at first but then like to type my drafts after that on a computer.  A lot of my writing is done at work, since I work in the public schools. I love seeing how much more help there is for the students who struggle like I did in school. One strength I have with writing is that I am determined. I’m determined to at least try my hardest and will not give up even if it is not perfect. 

Since middle school my thoughts of reading have changed. Two children later and I have realized that haven the opportunity to read and reread information repeatedly is a life saver. Another thing about reading I’ve learned to like is that when you finally have a free second to yourself and you really enjoy certain genera of books that it really frees your mind of your daily life. However, if I am not interested in the book I do still struggle to finish the book. I make sure that I do finish so I know how the book ends. 

This semester I would really like to improve the clarity and the organization of my writing. As well as have the confidence to write papers and turn them in without thinking that they are not good enough. 

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