A Comparison of Atmospherics in Two Retail Outlets - Case Study Example

Atmospherics: A Comparison of Two Retail Outlets Introduction The way in which one enjoys their retail experience is somewhat controlled by a clever engineering of the environment within a store. In creating the proper atmospherics, the outlet has designed a space the conveys a particular aspect of their branding in such a way that the consumer understands the intent of the shopping experience. Nothing is accidental. Everything from the lighting to the music that is played has been brought together in order to verify to the customer the branding image and to make their experience conducive to buying their product. The way in which the products are staged within the store will also contribute to the branding of the product. In order to create an experience that will bring a customer back into the environment, atmospherics are used to convey a pleasurable shopping experience, the essence of the brand, and to promote higher sales. For the purposes of this project, two retail stores will be examined for the way in which they present themselves to their clientele. In discovering the many subtle ways in which the branding is conveyed, a sense of the way in which a store will create an identity for its brand through various elements will be discovered. The first retail outlet has a specific target demographic, but the genius behind creating the image it wants to portray is that it inspires those who may not actually be in that demographic to aspire to try to fit into that aspect of the culture. The second retail store appeals to a very different specific sector of the community. The message it sends creates a sense of style and ease about its products. In researching both stores for their branding and marketing sense, an Atmospherics A 3 understanding of the way in which they present themselves to their customers can be assessed. Retail Outlet #1 In entering a Juicy Couture outlet, the image that the brand has always strived to attain is continued through the atmosphere of the store. Juicy Couture originated its marketing strategy by appealing to the essence of celebrity that many dream of sharing. The owners of the company did not indulge in direct advertising at the beginning of their inception, but rather used the celebrated to spread the message of the quirky, yet chic styling of their product. Swag advertising, that is getting their products into the hands of celebrities for free who would then wear their product, allowed tremendous amounts of free editorial coverage (Ross, 2005, p 336). Exclusive swag events would be held in hotels frequented by celebrities and their entourage allowing for the free spread of their merchandise. While the events could cost anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 dollars American, the free press that was the result of the events would show a tremendous return. In entering the outlet, one is struck by a styling that is reminiscent of celebrity. The store does not have multiples of items stacked to sell in volume, but are displayed with minimalism and restraint. The décor, however, is not minimal as items that have glitz and glamour of Hollywood suggested within their styling promote the sense of stardom that they wish to promote within their crowd. More than this concept, the sense of a young, frivolous celebrity is promoted through a sense of nothing is too outrageous, light or fun for the brand. The message is one of youth, exclusivity, and sparkle. The sales Atmospherics A 4 associates have an air about them that continues this trend, and while they are warm and respectful, one is sure that somewhere in the back they are using a glitter pen to write their weekly reports. However, while the Juicy Couture marketing demographic may be to girls in their teens and twenties, their clientele is not limited to those in this category. Early promoters of Juicy Couture included Madonna and Oprah Winfrey, neither of which were of the young Hollywood crowd. The message was clear. It is important to actually be young, but to have the mindset of being young. The store carries this concept further along in the way the décor is designed. While the message is young, it is sophisticated, giving women who may be somewhat older than the target demographic the message that whispers “sure, you can play too”. While there are many styles that are designed with pastel velour dripping with sparkling, shiny objects that scream teenager, there are also sophisticated and high levels of design attached to their leather goods. Retail Outlet #2 Ralph Lauren is an American designer whose aesthetic is a combination of the essence of the Western part of the United States, combined with the casual elegance that is reminiscent of the Kennedys. Walking into the store one is immediately struck by the antiquity of the styling, but with casual modernity. With elements across the outlet that are designed to have the impact of quality design that lasts, the message to the demographic targeted is that this classic style will last. Ralph Lauren is not about flashy hot one minute, not the next styling, but embraces the notion that something that is good should last and something that lasts should be classic and elegant. Atmospherics A 5 With Ralph Lauren, everything is designed to be heavy, rich and luxurious. The décor of the store has this appeal, promoting the styling through visual senses of an old mansion that has carried the inhabitants through generations of wealth. According to a commentator on the New York version of the store the aesthetic is “a bit overwhelming, like being caught inside Rex Harrison’s closet” (Wright, 2009, 74). While the look may be intense in its appearance that it is similar to a professor’s study, the detailing is done with impeccable style and taste. When one walks into the outlet, one is struck immediately by the aesthetic and there are no questions as to the branding identity that is intended. Ralph Lauren product is intended to be seen through the aesthetic of a sexualized Western. Intensely rugged and virile, the imagery is warm with the depth of history attached to it. To promote his aesthetic and his point of view he would support causes and events that would fit into his vision. As an example, in the 1980’s he funded an exhibit called “Man and the Horse” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that was a collection of equestrian styled clothing worn by people such as the Rockefellers, Rothschilds and even Buffalo Bill (Gross, 2004, p. 257). The event perfectly promoted the point of view that Lauren envisioned and the press was an amazing tribute to his style. Comparisons In approaching the intended demographics of both Juicy Couture and Ralph Lauren, one common element is most apparent. Quality will sell when it is packaged for the exclusive, but made available to the general population. While the stores are wildly diverse in the way in which they present a point of view, they are similar in that they play Atmospherics A 6 to the desires of the customers they attract in imitating wealth. The items sold in the stores are not cheap, but they are not completely out of reach for the slightly above average income consumer. The upper middle class can afford the items, as can those of a lower class level who choose to save for these items. This can contribute to the consumer the sense of either old money from Ralph Lauren, or new youthful Hollywood money through Juicy Couture, without having to actually spend thousands to accomplish the look. Both stores use strategies of placement within the outlets to achieve an ease of shopping for the consumer. While the shelves are stocked more liberally in Ralph Lauren, there is still the suggestion that to purchase one of the items is to deplete the inventory, thus suggesting a sense of exclusivity. When one purchases an item from Juicy Couture, it becomes quickly evident that rationally there are stores of inventory in the back. The item is retrieved from the back room and sold without having to shift the display models from their place. However, the act of retrieving the item from an unseen back location does the opposite in its affect on the consumer as they realize they are getting an item that has not been touched by the general population, but has been carefully placed in their beautiful, heavy shopping bag for them to take home. Lighting is important within the stores as well. Lighting provides the outlets with the opportunity to create an ambiance that affects the shopping experience. In Juicy Couture, the lighting is bold, placed at varying angles and with little concern for glare. This evokes the sense of the glaring spotlight, the celebrity that is the heart of the marketing strategy for the company. In Ralph Lauren, the lighting is less harsh, helping to Atmospherics A 7 promote the imagery of an old mansion without compromising the ability for the customer to appreciate the products that are being sold. Color plays a major role in both of the outlets. For Juicy Couture, the signature pale salmon pink and brown that is at the heart of every marketing representation promotes the girly image with which the company aspires to connect. While the collections shift their palette from year to year, a form of this pink appears somewhere in order to continue this aesthetic. For Ralph Lauren, the color hunter green appears to be a cornerstone for his line. The use of this color continues the old money, equestrian based look that he has become popular for supporting. For both companies, color connectivity is crucial in maintaining the identity of the brand. Atmospherics The way in which a store stages its merchandise begins from the way in which the design of the store is intended to promote the branding identity. Ray Wright (2006) calls this concept “retail theatre” as the whole purpose of the store becomes to promote the products through a production of the branding. Within that production, the concept of attitude comes into play. The attitude of the brand infects the consumer so that the aesthetic can connect to something that appeals to the consumer. The appeal creates a foundation for the consumer to decide that yes, they do want to be a part of the group. When the decision has been reached that the place they are shopping in promotes the attitude for which they most want to promote, a repetition of consumer activity can be found to occur (Kapferer, 2007, p. 222). In creating an atmosphere, the business must have a clear understanding of how Atmospherics A 8 the elements of the aesthetic in the design will affect the consumer. Understanding how the beliefs, emotions, and behaviors of the consumer can be affected by ambience is the first step toward creating a retail outlet that will support the needs of the consumer. Of course, the trick to marketing most luxury items is in expressing to the customer that the product fulfills a need that the customer might not have formally understood was present. The marketing aspect that must be conveyed is that you need this item or otherwise you will not represent what you choose to represent in your life. You will not be you, if you do not have this. In understanding this central theme, the marketing strategies utilized in building a store will develop in such a way to seduce the consumer into entering the outlet, then embracing the aesthetic in order to “need” the products that are available (Sullivan & Adcock, 2002, p. 149). Another aspect of good marketing strategies where the atmospherics of a retail outlet are concerned is that of change. Change insinuates new, fresh, and the need to consume more in order to maintain that image. As a marketing example of change, the bottled water Evian was first promoted for babies, then as the water of the Alps, eventually the water of balance, strength and finally of a source of youth (Kapfer, 2007, p. 222). The water changed and encouraged new markets to open so that a new demographic could be brought into play. The same is true for the face of a retail outlet. If the look never changed, the consumer would move on to the next new thing. That is the challenge of fashion. A product or brand that is the new thing today must find a way to stay fresh and exciting to its customers or suffer oblivion. The real benefit that can be found in the retail outlet atmospherics is that they are Atmospherics A 9 a dimensional advertisement for the brand. The colors that are chosen, the layout of the store, and the way in which lighting and sound are put together creates a method of seducing the customer to come into the store and buy the product. The ambiance is a testament to the branding, so therefore becomes an extension of the advertisement allowing for the public to have a view of the product that is conducive to the theory of style for which the product is trying to sell. After all, if one needs a purse, one can go anywhere to find one, but to choose to buy a Juicy Couture bag is to choose to buy into the image that the brand evokes. The atmosphere of the store is intended to sell the attitude to the consumer rather than just the object. Conclusion The retail experience has moved from the concept of acquiring needed goods to one of acquiring form the retailers a retail experience from shopping in a store that promotes a particular form of branding (Kent, 2006, p. 1). According to Kent (2006), the retail experience is now designed with the idea that the consumer needs to be inspired to creativity so that the products can be used to achieve that goal (p. 3). In choosing a selection of décor, lighting, and music, a store makes a statement about its products. The hope is that the consumer will connect with that statement and feel the need to incorporate that style into their life by consuming the products that are offered by the company. In creating an appropriate atmosphere, the outlet has the opportunity to promote its own aesthetic. This is the case in the retail outlets that were visited in preparation of this paper. It isn’t the item of purchase that is important, it is the attitude of the branding that is being sold, that then requires purchase to be fulfilled. References Gross, M. (2004). Genuine authentic: The real life of Ralph Lauren. New York, NY: Perennial. Kapferer, J.-N. (2007). The new strategic brand management: Creating and sustaining brand equity long term. London [u.a.]: Kogan Page. Kent, Tony. (2006). Creative space: design and the retail environment. London, UK: The School of Creative Enterprise, London College of Communication, University of the Arts. Ross, E., & Holland, A. (2005). 100 great businesses and the minds behind them. Naperville, Ill: Sourcebooks. Sullivan, M., & Adcock, D. (2002). Retail marketing. London: Thomson. Wright, P. (2009). A journey through ruins: The last days of London. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wright, R. (2006). Consumer behavior. Australia: Thomson Learning. Read More