Assignment One - The Shopping Experience – A Customer’s Perspective - may be cancelled if another lockdown. select a product that you would like to "buy" that would be in stores open at this time in...

write in business style i


Assignment One - The Shopping Experience – A Customer’s Perspective - may be cancelled if another lockdown. select a product that you would like to "buy" that would be in stores open at this time in Canada or usa and following COVID-19-protocols. This could be such stores as furniture, grocery, clothing or hardware. Have a clear concept of what you will be shopping for; it can be any size or price. You might be looking for a brand name item or general item such as a red pullover sweater. Describe the product you are shopping for in your write-up. This assignment is using observational research that refers to any activity in which the researcher uses their senses to observe the activities of their subject matter. 1) Check online to see if you can locate your product. Record your observations · How easy is it to find your product? · What key words did you use? · Ease of navigating the website · Easy to use checkout · Shipping - did the price including shipping? Was the shipping a reasonable price in your mind? Was it shipped from another country? Does this influence your buying decision? · Was there a 1-800 number or a chat line if you had questions? · Look of the website - use of colours, did you feel you could trust this vendor? Why? · Other observations 2) Then select two retailers who you think would offer this product. Visit these stores following COVID 19 Protocols and record your observations of specific retailing strategies. Then discuss your findings. Following are aspects, which you may consider in your comparison of the retail outlets. I recognize many of these aspects are subjective. Some may not apply (use your judgment) and you can include more: A. Location · What is the type of location (shopping mall, downtown, stand- alone location, shopping area)? · Is it in a nice community? · What influence does the neighborhood have on your impression of the store? · Would you travel to this store under normal circumstances to shop for your product? · Are there other stores in the vicinity that you would combine a shopping trip with for other products? Do you think nearby stores increase the number of customers to the store, or does your store increase the number of customers to other retail outlets nearby? · Is there easy parking? Is it easy to get into from the road? Are there enough parking spots? · Is there pedestrian traffic that would come into the store or is it one you would drive to? · Are there direct competitors in close proximity? B. Exterior · Is the exterior of the store attractive? Modern? Nice entrance? · Does the exterior draw you in - Do you think the exterior makes you want to go inside? · Is a really attractive exterior important for the type of products the store carries? C. Interior of Store Atmosphere and appearance · How was the atmosphere in the store - nice, creepy, relaxing? · Was the store attractive (you might want to rate the stores to compare) · Did the store have an unpleasant or unusual smell? · Did it feel crowded? · What was the noise level in the store? Did they play music or the radio? Layout · How difficult was it to find your product? Would more signs be helpful? · How big is the department in which your product is located? · How accessible is a cashier's station? Were the aisles wide enough? Display · How was your product displayed? If on a shelf how many shelves were there? Was it difficult to reach? · Was it attractively displayed or more functional? D. Product · Did the store carry the item? · Was the item in stock? Was there a limited supply? · Was there a selection of different brand names of your product? · Were substitute products choices available close by? E. Price · What was the price of the product? · What do you think is there pricing strategy for the product? · Are there additional costs? F. People · If you had questions on the product were there store employees available? For this product did you feel you needed more assistance? · If you observed store employees did they seem friendly? Trained? Knowledgeable? · Were there enough cashiers at the check-out to avoid long waits? · In observing the other shoppers, could you identify the types of people who shopped there? Who do you think is the target market for the retail outlet? 3) Conclusion - As a shopper which retail outlet would you have bought the product from (including the online choice)? What are they really doing right? Would you consider this is it a competitive advantage? Describe the factors which really influenced your choice. Explain your reason. Which location would you least prefer to purchase the item from and why. Did you learn any interesting insights from this exercise? Format – This assignment should be in business style writing with headings and sufficient white space. How you present the material in a clear concise manner is part of the assignment. You need to determine how the information is best presented - written, chart, graph etc. Length is dependent on your format and analysis but should not exceed 8 pages. · Assignment 1 Student Names: Description Marks Marks Awarded Format - review Appendix A writing rubric in course outline · The assignment is easy to read, flows well, and is concise - little unnecessary information · Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation · Clear organization and use of headings · Appearance, language, and level of formality appropriate for target audience · If used references are cited correctly 10 Content · Complete – all major sections presented · Relevant material is presented with sufficient depth and breadth · Observations were insightful and relevant · Easy to understand comparison of retail stores – online and physical locations · Applies critical thinking (ss in Appendix) · Logical progression of arguments · Facts/examples support claims · Identifies and discusses conclusion and implications · Qualifies and discusses personal insights. 40 Total 50