Free Essay: Why do more men than women buy the jeans they try on?

In my attempt to understand the reason behind these trends, I liaised with a local store which allowed me to observe the customers from CCTV footage and also questions a few customers. From my research, I recorded the following:

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Women love shopping, and when they go shopping for a pair of jeans, they are more likely to try on several before they find the perfect one. Most of the women who came into the stall did not know what they wanted, but they knew it has to be the right color, the ideal fit, and it has to look good on them, in short, it has to be what she had in mind. Therefore it can take her several stores, but she will not take home something she does not like. Men, on the other hand, come in looking for a black pair of jeans, they will find the stand with black jeans and pick one that seems to fit. When a man takes the pair of jeans to the dressing room, he has already decided that it is okay. Men go to the dressing room to confirm that the trouser fit and nothing much about patterns or design.

I talked to some browsers who were shopping for computers after 5 pm, and they explained that they are at work from 8 am to 5 pm, so they only get time to shop for computers after 5 pm. I also noticed that it is not just adults who buy electronics after 5 pm. Several teenagers came in after 5 pm too, and I wondered why since they did not go to work. After asking, they explained that they have to wait for their parents to come from work so they can allow them to go purchase electronics or to give them a ride to the store.

High-level purchasing is associated with taking a basket because when you have it, you have a place to put your purchases, and more room means more purchases. It also makes goods that could be heavy on the hands lighter and therefore, instead of rushing to the cashier to pay, you can smoothly go around the store to pick a few more things.

There are measures that stores could put in place to ensure that the above problems are solved. First, they can hire an assistant to help both the men and the women with picking out their clothes. This way, the women can quickly get the right fit, pattern, color and shade; and the men can also get what they had in mind. Secondly, they can offer an incentive that will prompt the customer to come in and purchase before 5 pm. If there is a price or a discount for the people who make their purchases before 5 pm, people would be willing to pass by in the morning before work, or they will come over during lunch to shop. Lastly, if baskets mean more sales, then the store should ensure that the baskets are in a convenient position. They could be placed right at the entrance where the customers do not have to struggle to look around to find them.

Reasons why customers leave stores without buying.

Last month I left a store empty-handed, and yes it had everything to do with the store's design. For starters, the parking lot was just outside the door, so I did not have any trouble leaving. When I got inside the store, there were no signs or labeling in any of the rows or columns, so it was tough to find the things I needed. After going through 3 columns and picking just one product, I did not hesitate to drop the basket and step out. The store had very few cashiers, and they sat at the exit, I considered going to ask them where the goods I wanted were but walking pout and going to another store seemed better.

Bakery/kitchen entrance exit

From my observation, I noticed that most people that came into the store went directly to the bakery, which was next to the entrance. After buying something from the bakery, they went direct to the drinks section before either going home or going ahead with their shopping. In my opinion, the aromas from the kitchen made the shoppers feel hungry even if they had just eaten, so they go ahead and buy a cake or a different snack. After getting the bite, they often wonder what they will down it with thus heading to the drinks section.

The conversion rate

For the 30 minutes I sat opposite the store's entrance, I saw 82 people get in, and 37 of them came out with something. This number was quite low in comparison to what I had in mind. I always thought that over 70% of people who got in a store are going to buy something. I also expected that the number would be higher because it is the beginning of the month and people received their salaries just the other day.

Signs

The signs are too wordy and not visible from the parking lot. These unclear signs are not of help to a person who is new to the store and needs to find their way around. "Underhill notes that fast-food franchises are usually very clever about signage. The signs in the window are simple and short (Simon and Schuster, 1999). More significant signs with lesser words would have been more effective. If shopping is a science, then store owners need to be more strategic about the small details in their shops that have the potential to draw or push away customers.

References

Underhill, P. (1999). The Science of Shopping S18.pdf - The Science of Shopping The Obvious Isn't Always Apparent It happens to all of us and were affected by it but we don't. Coursehero.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.coursehero.com/file/34001325/The-Science-of-Shopping-S18pdf/