FINAL ASSIGNMENT: RETAIL, STORE REVIEW

This assignment requires that you go out and conduct some qualitative research by looking closely at the retail environment and share your findings.

To catch the public's eye in a marketplace overflowing with choice, orward-looking storeowners are giving people more exciting things to see and do in their shops, positioning shopping as an "experience." Neiman Marcus is a classic exponent of the art with its themed Zeitgeist promotions, celebrity appearances and displays featuring aspects of contemporary art, culture, and design. It's pretty safe bet that the experiences on offer to Neiman Marcus's customers-characterized by the company's marketers as "less brand-focused" and "more confident in their style" than those of other stores-won't include high-octane promotions or celebrity photo-calls. Retailers are beginning to focus more upon service and merchandising: ensuring that its shelves are filled with "opulent" products that are "original" and hard to come by, and that staff "are courteous and always knowledgeable." Creating a haven, in other words, to which its self-possessed customers keep returning to browse, spend their money-or sit companionably and knit. It's not a style that would appeal to Neiman Marcus' brand-hunters or Apple's iPhone enthusiasts, but for the market that Neiman Marcus is targeting it's an "experience" that fits like a glove.

Report Requirements (report must be professional bound) 1 Page - Title Page 1 Page - Table of Contents 2-3 Pages - Intro to the Retailer Philosophy + Overview of Retail Location 3-4 Pages - Retail Experience / Brand Evaluation (graph + description) 2-3 Pages - Customer Evaluation Include a Hardcopy of your Power-Point presentation 1 Page - Customer Interview: 3 BONUS points Customer/Pen Portrait Interview and photo (page 125) Write-lip / Presentation Requirements Include clear visuals/sketches of the store (no blurry images)

• Pages MUST be numbered, dividers between each section (Interior-Exterior, and images); Each section MUST have a title

• Must be approved by the Writing Center (Writing Center slip MUST be turned in with report) Hardcopy report must have your POWERPOINT printed out with it.

• Each day project is late a letter grade goes down.

• 10-15Minute Presentation (marked down if over/under).

• Brief interview with a sales associate, manager, buyer, visual merchandiser from the retail store.

• Report MUST be professionally bounded in a binder/spiral notebook