Ponder this: what is the best way to get shoppers to purchase more at a department store? Better service? Lower prices? Fresher fashions?At Belk, Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro, all of these answers are incorrect. The answer is shopping carts.
What the fuck? Carts? Not like Kohl's-style baby carrier carts either. Grocery carts! Half-sized ones like you see at Kroger or Whole Foods Market! I had to take a picture of this.
I applaud Belk for thinking outside the box, but, um, these carts aren't going to work in a three-level department store with escalators. And they're ever so slightly cheesy.
This is almost as bad as when Sears started using theose purple-blue grocery carts a few years ago. I saw maybe three people use them and most of the others either clogged up the entrances or ended up all over the mall and parking lot. It was particurally heinous at über-upscale SouthPark, when empty, gaudy carts started mingling with the chic new décor. No suprise that Sears was forced out shortly after its foray with discount merchandisng tools.
Belk won't get forced out of Four Seasons, and their hearts were in the right place on this experiment, but this doesn't work. At all.
I noticed now at the JC Penny at Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News, VA that they have the huge mesh shopping bags that Old Navy has.
ReplyDeleteSo this place has no elevator for the carts?
I think the carts at Sears died a quick death at the Sears at the former Newmarket Fair Mall as well. I was seeing them blocks away on Jefferson ave.
Well, they'll just have to install a freaky cart elevator a la Target...and risk alienating people like me who are afraid to use them!
ReplyDeleteCarts at Belk? Whoa!
ReplyDeleteAnita: They do have an elevator in the store, actually a pretty nice glass-fronted one facing the exterior window-wall and a staircase, but it's not a real popular option. Most people use the escalators in the center of the store.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine these will be around long. The mesh shopping bags would be so much cooler.
Carrie: A freaky cart elevator would totally mess up the look of that store. It's actually one of the nicer ones Belk did before they started getting cheap on store design.
Billy: Yeah, it's odd as all get-out. I thought I was seeing things. When they throw the things away eventually (due to lack of interest), it's gonna be a hell of a collectable on eBay!
The shopping carts Macy's been experimenting with are much more stylish. I agree that grocery-store-like shopping carts are an improper addition to a department store.
ReplyDeleteI was at that store for an hour or so and I never saw a single person even give those carts a second look, much less use one.
ReplyDelete