PRIMARY RESEARCH PHOTOS

PRIMARY RESEARCH PHOTOS

Comparing store fronts

Storefront of New Look, The Moor

Storefront of New Look Meadowhall, Sheffield 

Storefront of New Look, Fargate Sheffield 

Comparing storefronts, it is interesting to note that despite all three stores being close to each other, situated in the same city (The Moor and Fargate especially, being just a few minutes walk away from each other), they have very different aesthetics. 

The one on the Moor has quite a clean aesthetic, probably due to it only being open a few months. However, it only has one door way, which is quite small (in comparison to the other two stores) which makes it look quite un-inviting and you cannot easily see the contents of the inside of the store when walking past, which may prevent customers going in if they cannot easily see something that catches their eye. However, this is likely due to the fact that this store is situated outside and therefore the inside of the store could be affected by bad weather conditions if it had a very open doorway. Moreover, the branding of the logo/sign looks quite modern, especially being situated on top of the glass-looking wall. 

The storefront of the New Look in Meadowhall is very different to the other two stores. It has a very large, open doorway due to the fact that it is in indoors shopping centre which cannot be affected by bad weather conditions. This easily allows consumers to walk past and see the entire contents of the store, which is more likely to persuade them to go in. In addition, it appears very bright and welcoming, with a lit-up New Look sign which is very eye catching (another benefit of being indoors). 

The one on Fargate is arguably the most run-down looking New Look in Sheffield. From the outside it appears quite dark, with very low ceilings. In addition, the exterior or the building itself looks quite dirty and old. Likewise, a very large old-fashioned looking 'temporary' sign is placed above the store saying 'open as usual', which can only suggest that the store is not attracting many customers if they have to be reminded that the store is open with a very large in-your-face sign. 

However, all three have the same mid season sale signs which are in bright colours (red and yellow) in order to attract the attention of consumers when walking past the stores. All three also have the same window displays of mannequins wearing Curren-season garments. This shows that New Look as a brand trys to be cohesive throughout their physical stores and window displays in order to try to make them look the same. 

Overall, it is evident that although all three storefronts have very different aesthetics to each other, this is largely reflective on where they are situated and the aesthetics of this area as appose to a reflection of the brand itself. For example, Meadowhall's storefront is evidently the nicest. However this is the general aesthetic of all of the shops in meadowhall as it is constantly cleaned and renovated, therefore it is no surprise that its aesthetics reflect this. Likewise, Fargate is generally seen to be a run down area which doesn't get renovated very frequently. 

• Comparing in-store layouts

View of the downstairs of New Look via the escalator (which the other two don't have) 

In-store layout of New Look, Meadowhall 

The layout of the downstairs of New Look, Fargate 

Layout of New Look, Fargate 

New Look's knitwear section in its Fargate store 

Confectionary and smaller accessories that New Look sells

New Look's homewear section in it's Fargate store 

One of New Look's sales/ promotion racks in its Fargate store 

In-store layout of New Look, The Moor 

The Mela London section in New Look, The Moor (one of the concession brands that New Look sells)

New Look' s Generation 915 section, The Moor 

New Look's Denim section, The Moor 

The accessories section in New Look, The Moor

- in terms of in-store layouts all three stores are very different 

- Fargate is arguably the messiest and the most run-down looking. It is also the smallest which potentially adds to the issue of it looking messy too, as there is less room to put things, especially in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The lighting inside is also very dark and yellow which makes it look smaller and more claustrophobic. However, the sections are distinguishable and it has two floors. The 2nd floor is used for accessories, shoes and it's Generation Z collection. 

- Meodowhall is most definitely the biggest, as well as being the most enjoyable to look around. The lighting is good as it is bright and the store itself is very big. The store has 2 floors and the surface area of both floors is quite large. The 2nd floor is used for shoes and accessories alongside particular sizing sections such as petite, maternity and plus. This makes the overall store much more organised to look at and to navigate your way around without feeling overwhelmed and lost. It's product sections are also organised well. Items are either colour coordinated or categorised together. For example, the maxi skirts are all placed together, which allows consumers to compare them all easily and be more likely to find one they like without having to walk around the whole store. 

- The Moor is quite modern-looking, due to the fact that it only opened a few months ago. It is bright and airy-looking inside which contributes towards an aesthetically pleasing appearance inside the store. There is decent amounts of space in-between the in-store sections which doesn't make it feel squashed together, like the Fargate Store. It is only 1 story but the surface area of it is considerably big. The way the sections are organised is effective too as it is easy to navigate your way around and clearly see which section is what via large, lit up signs. Their homewear section in this store is bigger than the other too also. By walking around you can clearly tell that this is a newly-renovated store which allows for a pleasant experience walking around.