Observing Woodland Mall

Yesterday I took a trip to Woodland Mall. However, instead of getting sucked into the shopping and sales like I usually do, this time I simply observed. Doing this helped me notice a lot of things that I normally do not see on my visits to the mall. As soon as I entered the mall, I was filled with warmth, and a bright red sign with the word SALE in big bold letters greeted me--it was impossible to miss. These sale signs were all placed in prime spots such as entrances and at the tops of the elevators. There was also some sort of sale sign in every window of every store we passed by that sought to grab our attention. Bright lights, white tile floors, and white walls gave the mall a very open and clean look. In addition, in the middle of the aisles there were several resting areas with couches and chairs. Trees and plants surrounded these areas, making it a refreshing atmosphere. I had never noticed the foliage, but the article by John Pahl opened my eyes to see the large amounts of plants that seek to refresh the mall’s consumers and make their trip more enjoyable. Furthermore, I noticed a Starbucks conveniently placed where four isles come together—in order to get anywhere, you had to walk by the coffee shop that was surrounded by pillars and trees. Manikins were dressed to perfection, which tempted onlookers like myself to stop in the store and try on the clothes. Some stores we walked into, such as Macy’s, smelled of colognes and perfumes and had popular music playing, such as Rihanna. Claire’s, a fashion and accessory store, was decorated with a purple carpet, and bright purple and pink lights shown on the entrance to draw in young girls. We also found that when we entered a store or hesitated by a kiosk, there was always a salesperson quick to tell us what the sales were and ask if we needed any help. Overall, observing rather than shopping at the mall opened my eyes to many of the advertising techniques that I have been blind to before.