Deck 6: Store Design, Layout, and Visual Merchandising Strategy

Question 1

When Michelle walked into the store, she saw it was full of rows of self-service counters with tiers of shelves back-to-back. Immediately she knew the store manager had used a ________ store layout.

A) free-form
B) grid
C) boutique
D) racetrack
E) blocked

Answer 1

B

Question 2

To design a good store layout, store managers must:

A) create an even division between storage space and selling space
B) consider how the store layout will photograph for ads
C) never exceed his or her budget
D) create a store layout that entices customers to purchase more than they had originally planned
E) model the store design on its competitors so customers can recognize the layout

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The

A) free-form
B) grid
C) racetrack
D) loop store layout arranges fixtures and aisles asymmetrically.
E) suggestive

Answer 3

A

Question 4

H&R Block opens many offices around the country to accommodate the tax season. The company has the ability to piece together new offices, expand existing offices or alter the design for a unique space in a matter of hours. This ability is an example of which of the following objectives?

A) To be flexible
B) To offer services at a moment's notice
C) To consider cost versus value
D) To positively influence consumer behaviour
E) To be consistent with their image and strategy

Question 5

Bloomingdales in New York uses time-released atomizers that spray a lavender scent in the lingerie department. The managers say it enhances the customer's shopping experience, soothes shoppers, and increases sales. Which of the following design objectives would this practice most likely satisfy?

A) Design should include aromatherapy
B) Design should be flexible
C) Design should consider cost versus value
D) Design should be consistent with the retailer's strategy
E) Design should positively influence consumer behaviour

Question 6

Which store design contains long gondolas of merchandise and aisles in a repetitive manner?

A) Free-form
B) Racetrack
C) Grid
D) Boutique
E) Loop

Question 7

Grid store layouts:

A) are cost-efficient
B) are one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs
C) are also called loop layouts
D) encourage impulse purchasing
E) are described by all of these

Question 8

Maps that describe the location of merchandise based on profitability are called:

A) planograms
B) strategic locators
C) profitability plans
D) plan-o-rama
E) map-o-grams

Question 9

The following atmospheric guidelines are true except for:

A) Another key use of music and sound is called "environmental sonic merchandising" -focusing sounds on the environmental qualities of fabrics and ingredients.
B) Music can control the pace of store traffic, create an image, and attract or direct consumers' attention.
C) As people get older, their sense of smell decreases.
D) Research has shown that warm colours (red and yellow) produce opposite physiological and psychological effects from cool colours (blue and green).
E) Using lighting to focus on merchandise moves shoppers' eyes to the merchandise and draws customers strategically through the store.

Question 10

Why is it important for stores to be designed with flexibility in mind?

A) It is less expensive for retailers to build several different types of flexible fixtures than to build one inflexible fixture
B) Customers find it hard to locate merchandise if fixtures are rigid
C) Department managers never know what to expect from the planners' allocations and require the ability to display more merchandise at a moment's notice
D) Stores with newer designs can respond to seasonal changes without large-scale renovations
E) All of these

Question 11

Which of the following is a general type of store layout design used by grocery and drugstore retailers?

A) Racetrack
B) Free-form
C) Loop
D) Boutique
E) Grid

Question 12

When Herman entered the department store, the first thing he noticed was a marbleized path that led him to the various departments. Each of the departments had specials placed so as to draw him into the department. He recognized a store layout.

A) random
B) boutique
C) grid
D) racetrack
E) free-form

Question 13

Which of the following stores are likely to use a racetrack store layout?

A) Loblaws supermarkets
B) Wal-Mart
C) Marks Work Wearhouse
D) Sears
E) Bluenotes

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the racetrack layout?

A) It cannot be used in department stores because it makes large stores look cluttered
B) It is not as aesthetically pleasing as the grid layout
C) It encourages impulse purchasing
D) It is also called the free-form layout
E) It is described by all of these

Question 15

The retail "wall" offers the following merchandising benefits except:

A) Holds minimal merchandise
B) Is a focal point for seasonal merchandise
C) Can present coordinated face-outs with a multiple fashion story in a small space
D) Effectively sells more high-margin merchandise than floor fixtures
E) All of these are benefits

Question 16

Which of the following is not considered an objective to be met when designing a store?

A) The design should control maintenance costs
B) The design should be consistent with image and strategy
C) The design should positively influence consumer behaviour and increase sales
D) The design should be inexpensive
E) The design should be meet legal requirements

Question 17

Which of the following rules of thumb are important when designing an effective store layout?

A) Do not limit the layout design to long rows of racks and shelves
B) Never use ramps
C) Maintain all displays at eye level
D) Do not divide the store into small boutiques
E) All of these

Question 18

Which of the following statements about a grid store layout is true?

A) There is much less wasted space with a grid layout
B) The amount of merchandise on the floor with a grid layout can be significantly greater than with other types of layouts
C) The grid layout is very cost-efficient
D) The grid layout is not the most aesthetically pleasing of all of the store layouts
E) All of these statements about the grid layout are true

Question 19

Another name for the racetrack store layout is the

A) departmental
B) convoluted
C) pulsing
D) loop
E) suggestive

Question 20

The trade-off between ease of finding merchandise and providing a varied and interesting layout is determined by:

A) the needs of the customers shopping at the store
B) well trained, design oriented managers
C) the simplicity of the merchandise
D) how often there is a shipment from the distribution center
E) none of these

Question 21

Which of the following is a disadvantage to the free-form layout?

A) Fixtures are expensive
B) More personal selling is necessary
C) Storage and display space is sacrificed for a more spacious environment
D) Theft is higher
E) All of these

Question 22

As Danny walked the downtown streets, he passed an office supply store that had a desk, chair, and filing cabinet covered in dust as well as three dead plants and an array of dead insects in the front. What advice could he give to the office supply retailer?

A) Window displays can be used to set the shopping mood for a season or holiday
B) When properly used window displays can attract customers into the store
C) Windows can provide customers with a visual image of the type of merchandise inside the store
D) Windows are an important part of a store's layout
E) All of this advice would be relevant to the office supply retailer

Question 23

What is the advantage of the free-form layout to the consumer?

A) The layout guides the customer through the store
B) Customers are encouraged to explore the store with this type of layout
C) Customers feel like they are in a relaxed environment and are more likely to buy
D) Customers can purchase merchandise in this type of layout
E) This type of layout is designed to get the customer's attention

Question 24

Imagine you are the manager of a Walmart store. Which of the following types of merchandise would be most likely to produce the highest sales per square metre/foot?

A) Modular furniture
B) Over-the-counter drugs
C) Electronic equipment
D) Gardening supplies
E) Pet supplies

Question 25

An end cap:

A) is usually freestanding
B) replicates the total assortment of merchandise contained in the aisle
C) has high visibility
D) usually contains the newest, most exciting merchandise in the store
E) is always found in a point-of-sale area

Question 26

Imagine you are a manager of a women's clothing specialty store. Which of the following productivity measures would you be most likely to use?

A) Sales per linear metre/foot
B) Sales per square metre/foot
C) Sales per cubic metre/foot
D) Median gross margin per square metre/foot
E) Gross margin per linear metre/foot

Question 27

Which of the following best describes the point-of-sale areas?

A) They are designed to attract customers into the store's various departments
B) They are typically located near end caps
C) They can be the most valuable piece of real estate in the store
D) They always contain sale merchandise
E) None of these

Question 28

Which of the following best describes the free-form layout?

A) It enhances the productivity of the store's selling space by its tight arrangements
B) It uses repetitive, symmetrical pattern.
C) It is very cost-efficient
D) It is the least aesthetically pleasing of all the store layouts
E) It is described by none of these statements

Question 29

To allocate space to items, categories, and departments, store planners and merchandise managers must know:

A) how much of each item should be stocked
B) how much space the merchandise occupies
C) where merchandise should be located
D) what items should be carried
E) all of these

Question 30

are located on aisles and are designed primarily to get customers' attention and bring them into a department.

A) Freestanding fixtures
B) Consumer motivators
C) Gondola displays
D) Point-of-sale areas
E) End caps

Question 31

The Alice in Wonderland Store specializes in collectibles associated with the Lewis Carroll books. The items are displayed on library tables, on old oak shelves, and in antique china cabinets. Statuary from the books is located in unexpected spots throughout the store. This is an example of a layout.

A) grid
B) random
C) free-form
D) loop
E) racetrack

Question 32

In Mountain Equipment Co-op, near the entrance to the department where kayak and canoe merchandise is sold, are three kayaks suspended from the ceiling. The display attracts many customers into that department. The display is an example of a(n):

A) end cap
B) freestanding fixture
C) gondola display
D) point-of-purchase display
E) promotional area

Question 33

A diagram created from photographs, computer output, or artists' rendering that illustrate exactly where every SKU should be placed is called a:

A) plan-o-rama
B) merchandise plan
C) planogram
D) placement plan
E) strategic plan

Question 34

Another name for the free-form layout is the:

A) specialty layout
B) racetrack layout
C) loop layout
D) grid layout
E) boutique layout

Question 35

As Gary was waiting to pay for a bottle of aspirin he bought at a pharmacy, he added a copy of TV Guide, a Snickers bar, and a pack of cheese crackers to his purchases. The area where Gary made his last selections is called a(n):

A) end cap
B) point-of-sale area
C) gondola display
D) promotional area
E) freestanding fixture

Question 36

What is more important in the free-form layout than any of the other general types of layout?

A) Print advertising
B) Publicity
C) Promotions featuring rebates and contests
D) Personal selling
E) Broadcast advertising

Question 37

Boris wanted to buy a life-like owl for his office for Halloween. He found the owls in an aisle at Zellers that had costumes, candy, and decorations. This special section is an example of a(n):

A) point-of-purchase area
B) gondola display
C) promotional area
D) freestanding fixture
E) consumer motivator

Question 38

When Moe visited Sears to buy tea cups, he was astonished to see them displayed up a wall almost to the ceiling. What type of feature area is Sears using for the tea cups?

A) End caps
B) Wall display
C) Window display
D) Point-of-sale
E) Freestanding fixture

Question 39

The owner of a men's clothing store has initially allocated 15 percent of the store's space to men's suits based on the expected sales productivity of that merchandise. What other factors must he consider before finalizing the space allocation for men's suits?

A) How the suits will be displayed
B) If the location of suits will help draw customers through the store, thus facilitating purchases
C) How many SKUs to stock
D) How profitable the suits are
E) All of these

Question 40

To determine the productivity of store space, retailers are most likely to use:

A) sales per square metre/foot
B) retained earnings
C) inventory turnover
D) sales per department
E) asset turnover

Question 41

When Terence walked into the Hair Loft he noticed many large photographs displayed overhead and throughout the store, demonstrating styles of haircuts that he could request. These pictures are an example of:

A) colour merchandising
B) retailing mix
C) sales promotion
D) merchandising
E) visual communication

Question 42

Blockbuster video rental stores typically place the most current tape boxes on shelves so that the scenes depicted on the tape box can attract the customer. This is an example of:

A) idea-oriented presentation
B) colour presentation
C) frontal presentation
D) vertical merchandising
E) tonnage merchandising

Question 43

is used when retailers offer a limited number of predetermined price points within a classification.

A) Competitive pricing
B) Price lining
C) Price limiting
D) Price presentation
E) Flexible pricing

Question 44

In which of the following stores would you be most likely to encounter a four-way fixture?

A) Tip Top Tailors men's clothing stores
B) All Creatures, a pet store
C) HMV recorded music and video stores
D) Home Hardware hardware stores
E) Marco Polo, a retailer of antique atlases, maps, and globes

Question 45

Store lighting is used to:

A) focus on special merchandise
B) capture a mood that enhances the store's image
C) sculpt space
D) provide an accurate colour rendition of the merchandise
E) do all of these

Question 46

Costco's merchandise is sold in large quantities and stacked high on metal shelving. This merchandising gives the customer a message of low prices. Which of the following merchandising techniques is Costco using?

A) Price lining
B) Colour presentation
C) Tonnage merchandising
D) Frontal presentation
E) Idea-oriented presentation

Question 47

The most common method of organizing merchandise is by:

A) style/item
B) target market
C) vendor
D) type of purchase
E) size

Question 48

As you enter Yesteryear, a vintage clothing boutique, you're aware of how inviting the store is for browsers. All of the lighting is from floor and table lamps. The music is Benny Goodman serenades, and the air smells like powder. The walls are covered in vintage floral wallpaper. This environment has attractive:

A) ecological design
B) behaviour-oriented design
C) atmospherics
D) sensory merchandising
E) lifestyle merchandising

Question 49

Signs and graphics should act as a(n):

A) catalyst that creates demand
B) bridge between the merchandise and the target market
C) example of potential consumer purchases
D) profit generator
E) source of information about product benefits

Question 50

In which of the following stores would you be most likely to encounter a rounder?

A) Sherlock, a store for mystery book lovers
B) Home Depot building supplies
C) Shoppers Drug Mart drugstores
D) Winners, an off-price clothing retailer
E) The Brew House, a store that sells everything required to brew your own beer

Question 51

By using natural movement. , stores can effectively organize their merchandise to follow the eye's

A) style/item presentations
B) idea-oriented presentations
C) vertical merchandising
D) diagonal organization
E) colour merchandising

Question 52

A bookstore organizes its stock by topic. It has a mystery novel section, a romance novel section, a how-to-do-it section, a travel book section, etc. The bookstore is obviously using a presentation.

A) usage
B) book cover
C) style/item
D) horizontal
E) customer benefit

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of the use of atmospherics?

A) A history in photographs of people enjoying the beach from the beginning of photography till the present, displayed in a store specializing in beachwear
B) The smell of evergreen in the air of a store that carries Christmas merchandise year-round
C) The bright reds and yellows on the floor and walls of a toy store
D) The playing of big band music at a supermarket
E) All of these

Question 54

In the cereal aisle at the supermarket, Reese noted that while brands of cereal aimed at appealing to adults were at his eye-level, Fruit-Loops and other brands appealing to children were just at his son's eye level. What kind of merchandise presentation is the supermarket using on this aisle?

A) Idea-oriented presentation
B) Tonnage merchandising
C) Colour presentation
D) Vertical merchandising
E) Frontal presentation

Question 55

When Lorna went to buy a pair of walking shorts this spring, she first noticed the store had three racks of shorts. Then she noticed all the shorts on one rack were $35.95, all the shorts on the second rack were priced at $39.95, and all the shorts on the third rack were priced at $44.95. What type of merchandise presentation did Lorna see?

A) Price lining
B) Vertical
C) Style/item
D) Idea-oriented
E) Quality/price

Question 56

When large quantities of merchandise are displayed together it is called:

A) style/item presentation
B) style/item merchandising
C) tonnage merchandising
D) vertical merchandising
E) idea-oriented merchandising

Question 57

How does a retailer select which merchandise presentation technique it will use?

A) Look at the profit potential of each product
B) Look at the product's packaging to see if it requires any special displays
C) Consider what is consistent with the store's image
D) Consider the nature of the product
E) A retailer does all of these

Question 58

is a method of displaying merchandise in which the retailer exposes as much of the product as possible to catch the customer's eye.

A) Tonnage merchandising
B) Vertical merchandising
C) Mass merchandising
D) Style/item presentation
E) Frontal presentation

Question 59

Celine is planning on redoing her kitchen. When she went into the home improvement store, she admired the various kitchens the store had set up. Each kitchen used a different style and colour scheme, and allowed Celine to consider the possible formats she could
Use) The home-improvement store had used a(n) presentation.

A) vertical
B) frontal
C) idea-oriented
D) style/item-oriented
E) colour

Question 60

In which of the following stores would you be most likely to encounter a straight rack?

A) IGA supermarkets
B) The Bay department store
C) Toys R Us
D) The Green Gate, a florist
E) Coles bookstores

Question 61

Why is it important to have the store design consistent with the image and strategy?

Question 62

What type of presentation technique helps retailers effectively organize merchandise to follow the eye's natural movement?

Question 63

What are the five objectives that must be met when managers are designing or redesigning a store?

Question 64

Name six examples of feature areas in a store.

Question 65

What is a disadvantage of using a rounder?

Question 66

The term used to describe the practice of focusing spotlights on special feature areas and items is:

A) creating a halo effect
B) popping the merchandise
C) spotlighting
D) attention focusing
E) highlighting the merchandise

Question 67

What is the primary purpose of fixtures?

Question 68

Which colours are you most likely to find in a fast-food restaurant?

A) Green and white
B) Red and yellow
C) White, eggshell, and other white hues
D) Black and grey
E) Blue and green

Question 69

What is a demand/destination department or area? Where within the store are these departments typically located and why?

Question 70

Sara's Collectibles has a good location, but the building that houses the store is an unattractive old warehouse. Which of the following can be used to downplay the less attractive features of the store?

A) End caps
B) Signs
C) Window displays
D) Lighting
E) All of these

Question 71

Obviously, good lighting in a store provides illumination of the selling area, but it can serve several other purposes. What are they?

Question 72

Which fixture consists of a long pipe suspended with supports going to the floor or attached to a wall? Where are they used?

Question 73

Which of the following statements about department store entrances are NOT true?

A) Retailers try to keep the first 10 feet of the store free of merchandise, displays, and signage
B) They have cosmetics and fragrance categories at the main entrance because these categories are visually appealing and create a sense of excitement
C) The first 10 feet of a department store is prime selling space and full of commonly purchased items (staples)
D) The first impression caused by the entry area affects the customer's image of the store
E) The first 10 feet of the store are often referred to as the "decompression zone"

Question 74

Name two methods of encouraging customers to explore merchandise throughout the store.

Question 75

Tiffany is planning to open a fashion boutique that will feature Italian leather shoes and boots. Her lowest priced shoes will be in the $200 range. What colours should she use in the boutique to
enhance the likelihood of a customer purchase?

Question 76

What are the four issues store planners must consider when presenting merchandise to the customer?

Question 77

Which of the following statements about the use of scent to change or augment the atmospherics in a store is true?

A) There are no ethnic differences in the way scents are received and decoded
B) The methods used to introduce scent into a store are relatively expensive
C) The age of the target market does not affect the way scents are received and decoded
D) The gender of the target market should be used to determine the intensity of the scent
E) None of these statements about the use of scent to change or augment the atmospherics in a store is true

Question 78

Which of the following is a straight line to feelings of happiness, hunger, disgust, and nostalgia?

A) Lighting
B) Colour
C) Temperature
D) Scent
E) Sound

Question 79

What is an impulse product?

Question 80

Store planners attempt to design stores with maximum flexibility. What are the two forms of flexibility that need to be considered?