Monday, March 12, 2012

The Science of Shopping



4) Summarize in your own words the ways that retailers use spatial design to affect the consumer's behavior and buying habits.

Today in the shopping malls of the U.S. companies use the space around them to advertise their product to a centralized audience. This is noticeable in any shopping mall and is quite easy to see if you know what to look for. This Saturday I was at the mall buying some new clothes. We stopped at the food court and ate our lunch. I noticed an advertisement for an eight week long diet that is “guaranteed to work. This advertisement was placed right next to the Cinnabon. When I saw this I began to laugh because right away I saw how effective this use of space was. The line was mostly comprised of overweight people, and some even left the line after reading this sign. When I started looking for clothes I was pulled in to the H&M from what I saw in the window. I saw a big poster of a model who was perfect looking and I thought if I wear this outfit or shop at this store I will look good like the model. I spent nearly two hundred dollars and I walked out with some new clothes. As I was walking away all I could think about was the next day trying on my new clothes because I wanted to look and feel as good as the model did in that H&M poster. As I continued shopping for things the advertisements and the use of space was became clearer and clearer. Candy shops and ice cream parlors as wells a toy stores were conveniently placed right near clothing stores for kids. I sat and watched these stores for a while. Creeper status probably not the best idea, The amount of kids  kicking and screaming or begging their mom or dad to go look at toys or go buy candy or have some ice cream was outstanding. It was a good ninety five percent of the kids who did this one after the other. After my mall experience I left and looked back on the spatial use of advertising in the mall and thought it was quite genius and intriguing in a weird sense.

1 comment:

  1. This is recognizable in any retail center and is quite simple to see if you know what to look for. This Sunday I was at the shopping center purchasing some new clothing.

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