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

Inventory

Staff 0

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.

Entrance: Cute--mini-sized double decker shopping carts parked to the left of the entrance, easily maneuverable through narrow aisles. Shopping baskets were also stacked right inside the entrance.

Layout and inventory: I started on the racetrack carpeting, but stopped immediately because my eyes were drawn up, up and away - framed art and hangings filled the walls above the gift area. Not having a 30-foot ceiling at home, I couldn't envision any of that artwork in my living room. I felt totally dwarfed by all the space.

Next to the gifts was music city. My church's music director would have loved the three listening rooms, a row of listening carrels plus listening posts on the end of each row. But I felt even smaller: bigger-than-life-size posters of Michael W. Smith and other artists hung on the wall. A huge projection screen was behind one of the posters. And how classy: the posters were neatly hung on hooks. No ripped corners here. The first frontliner I saw was neatly folding t-shirts and laying them in cubes.

In the children's area, a little girl sprawled on the colorful alphabet rug, mesmerized by the bank of nine televisions. She was totally oblivious to the noise of two little boys dumping building blocks into the center of a block table behind her. A homemade ark, covered with brown paper, had been afloat too long-a hodgepodge of plush from every kid's release in the last several years filled the boat to overflowing.
What a Bible department, with seemingly every translation known to man and woman. And there was another frontliner, arranging chairs around the conveniently located tables.
Next, a living room. Four full-sized sofas, complete with end tables and chairs, occupied an area rug in the store center. This homey square felt so pleasant because it was not sprawling. This was a contained space with a human touch.
And what a great customer service area. With that big neon sign, even I couldn't miss it. A frontliner was headed back there, while three others worked at the adjacent registers.

Appearance: Good depth of product, neat shelves and clear signage, but the space overwhelmed me. I've always thought "bigger is better" when it comes to square footage, but this visit made me re-think that.

Staff: I was a true mystery shopper: I floated in and out; no one knew I was there. I anticipated southern hospitality, but didn't even get a smile.

Verdict: I appreciated the convenience of the large waste cans right outside the front door.

It was after dark when I drove up. When I saw a uniformed guard outside the adjacent big box store, I wondered if I'd be safe. But with the big lights in the parking lot and the open and highly visible entrance, I felt secure.

I'd want to develop the concept of "stores within a store." In each section, seating and fixtures could be appropriate to the product category.

If this was your regular store? According to the phone book, two other Christian bookstores are nearby, so I would shop here only if I couldn't find what I needed at those stores. This store didn't realize we live in a relationship economy.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Sure, it's just like any other impersonal, general market store--which is just why I wouldn't bring a non-Christian friend here. It felt flat and cold, like a store without a heart.

What will you remember of your visit a week from now? A lot of space doesn't guarantee a good store.