Region: West

Location: First floor of new, freestanding ministry building on church campus

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Region: Midwest

Location: Lower level of mall, immediately outside anchor store

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Type: chain
Region: deep south
Location: suburban strip mall
Five star rating: Appearance

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External appearance: I drove past the shopping center twice without finding this store--I just didn't think to drive all the way to the back. But if the store was large as the exterior sign and the display ad in the phone book, it was definitely worth the extra searching.

Window display: A big expanse of glass surrounds the double door entrance. Lots of space inside visible.

Type: Independent

Region: Northwest

Location: At a strategic intersection, by a suburban downtown area and a main traffic artery

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External appearance: Though the corner spot on a major thoroughfare is a prime location, the store's lackluster look made a dull first impression. A roofline reader board advertised a new book title.

Type: Chain

Region: Northeast

Location: At the end of strip mall across parking lot from mall, next to empty store.

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External appearance: The large purple sign with white letters on the store front were clearly visible. The store name on the back of the building was also clearly visible, even from inside the food court of the nearby mall-excellent use of that blank space on the store back.

Type: independent

Region: Northwest

Location: back corner of a strip center in a middle-class suburb

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External appearance: The phone-book ad promised "over 7,000 square feet of Christian products," but even anticipating a large store at a specific address, extensive sign clutter in front of the horseshoe-shaped strip made it difficult to find the store.

Type: Independent
Region: South
Location: Medium-size strip mall
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External: Located in a busy strip mall in a lower-income area near a Wal-Mart. The lighted sign was easy to spot between all the other neighboring stores. Even though there was traffic, it was easy to find parking in the well-lit lot.

Type: Chain
Region: Midwest
Location: Second upper floor of a large suburban mall
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External appearance: The large name in bright letters made it easy to locate the store, even from far across the mall.