Discount Stores!

For this post, I’ve chosen to comment on my good friend Courtney Kirkpatrick’s blog from March 31 regarding discount stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls. (Her post can be found at http://courtkirkpatrick.blogspot.com/)



Courtney focused on different aspects of discount stores, including
-how these stores function,
-their intended consumer experience, and
-discount stores and the current economy.
I’ll be giving my input on these different areas and commenting on Courtney’s thoughts.

How these stores function
Courtney discussed that discount stores follow a very minimalistic attitude when it comes to décor and set-up, which I completely agree with. Personally, if I’m going to a discount store, I know I’m going to be saving a significant amount of money so I’m not really concerned with having a beautiful environment around me when shopping. If the décor projects a low-cost vibe, that’s perfect because it’s comforting to know that I’m in the right place while looking for good deals. My goal is to get into these stores, find as many bargains as possible, and get out quickly.

Interior of a Marshalls store

The layout of these stores is also conducive to that type of shopping because all of the items available are organized by type of product, not by company. That means if you’re looking for jeans, you can look up at the signs hanging from the ceiling and go straight to that area. It’s easy and fast. Also, the store clerks in the store are only there to put items back in their correct places and not to assist you, which is understandable. Why would a company waste money paying employees extra when customers don’t even expect a high level of personal attention?

Intended consumer experience
In this aspect, Courtney explained that she believes that customer experience in discount stores is shaped by a consumer’s positive mindset that he or she will find a great deal when going into one of these stores. She also explained that external factors influencing customers, such as the store’s environment, actually affect the customer subconsciously and don’t really play a part in the customer experience upfront, which is an idea that I don’t agree with.

I do agree that in order to have a positive experience in a discount store, a consumer must be optimistic about finding a great deal. I also believe that a consumer must be patient enough to go through this type of shopping experience because you never know what to expect when walking into one of these stores.

On the other hand, I do believe that external factors influence a customer’s experience at a discount store as well—on more than a subconscious level. The two external areas that I feel affect a consumer’s experience is a discount store are 1-availability of items, and 2-other customers in the store.

First, even if a customer has a positive mindset when entering a discount store, if a customer can’t physically find anything that he or she likes, it doesn’t matter that the person wanted to find something. You can’t buy something that isn’t available. This can lead to high levels of frustration for consumers in discount stores.

Next, I think the other customers in discount stores really affect a consumer’s experience when purchasing items. In discount stores, I think the more customers are in a store, the more customers will purchase because they may feel that other consumers are finding great deals and they should do the same. On the other hand, having more customers in a discount store also leads to ridiculously long checkout lines, which are extremely frustrating and discourage customers.

Discount stores and the current economy
Courtney’s thoughts on this topic included that she became interested in discount stores recently due to the current economic issues in the US and because of her love of shopping at discount stores. Americans have recently gravitated towards shopping more at discount stores since everybody is trying to save as much money as possible. Discount stores are really just trying to do their best to create a positive image of themselves in the minds of consumers.

Personally, I enjoy shopping at discount stores; however, I feel that it can be a very hit-and-miss shopping experience because the success of my shopping trip is completely dependent on what is available in the store, which I discussed earlier. I do feel that the larger retail stores, such as Macy’s, really need to revamp their marketing efforts. These types of stores need to focus on their points of differentiation including customer service and environment because when it comes to pricing, discount stores win that contest hands down.

Looking into the future, I think there are certain groups of people who will always shop at discount stores more than others, such as students or families with lower incomes. However, I do believe that as the economy improves, individuals were return to more expensive retailers since they value more than low prices during shopping experiences.