Customer Responses to the New Store

Although it will be some time until we're really finished putting things as we like them, the renovations are officially over. The changes are huge and the customers have lots to say about the changes.

Some responses are extremely positive.

• An 8-year-old regular entered the store with his parents. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "What happened?!" He then explored the store with a look of awe and as he left, he told the cashier how much he liked the store.
• Customers who were at the store when things were most chaotic have returned with comments like, "I bet you're glad it's over! The store looks really good."
• Some customers who missed the chaotic period walk in, stop, and some then walk out of the store to check what name is on the sign. "Am I in the right place?" they think, and sometimes ask out loud. "Wow! Things have really changed!"

Of course there are lots of complaints, too. Some people just don't like change.

• "I can't find anything!"
• "Why did you have to move the {item}?"
• "I liked the store how it was before!"
• "You moved the {popular item} to the back of the store?! I can't walk that far!" Now think about it.......from a store standpoint, it makes PERFECT sense to put the popular items in the back so the customers have to walk past the accessories and less popular items to get to and from the popular items. I didn't draw up the blueprints, I can't change them, now STOP COMPLAINING!

Other people are completely oblivious that anything has changed. This is despite the new walls, floors, registers, shelves, color scheme......EVERYTHING! They walk to the area where the {item they always buy} used to be, then look around that area in an attempt to find the {item they always buy}. The fact that they're looking for {books} in what used to be the {books} department in what is now the {refrigerator} department doesn't register in their minds. "Refrigerators, refrigerators everywhere, my book must be in here somewhere."

Associates are still trying to find things. Sometimes I'll ask 3~4 of my people before someone can tell me the general area where the {obscure item} now is. We haven't NOT found anything yet, though. It just takes lots of searching and lots of asking for directions.