Question from Kate's blog:
Is the power of shopping really up to the store owner or can a consumer control their own shopping habits? Have you ever thought about your own shopping habits? Do you browse through everything, only go for what catches your eye, or have one particular reason for entering a store? Can you be swayed by the way a store is set up, or will you only go for what really interests you? Can the way a store is set up influence what you end up buying?

I usually only go to the store to buy something that I need, but when I get there I end up browsing through stuff that catches my eye. On a mannequin might be a fly looking outfit. If it is really eye catching, then I might want to see if it looks good on me. I never really thought it was the store that influenced me to buy something. Granted, I came to a store looking for one thing but I bought something else. This just means that there was something in the store that I liked. I didn't think this had to do with the way the store was set up, I thought it had more to do with the merchandise.

Question from Robert's blog:
This article talks a lot about how the set up of the store, the environment, and the clues given by shoppers themselves can make or break a business. I, on the other hand, always believed that the sales people are the ones who can help sell a product. Do you think that sales people have any major impact on the whether or not a business flourishes or fails?

Sales people definitely have an impact on whether a business flourishes or fails. They are the people who work with the customer to achieve a sale. I think that as long as the customer doesn't know what exactly they need, then the sales person is definitely helpful. For example, I want to buy a new washing machine. However, I don't know all the specifics about washing machines. I want one that saves me money by using less energy, but I want one that gets my clothes really clean. This is where a sales person comes in. They help me to decide which one works best for me. Even though they might be manipulative, it seems to me that most sales people I have ever come across have been genuinely helpful. I think sales people are being needed less and less as the consumer becomes more educated about the products. There are so many ways to access information about a specific thing that people have a background in the product before they go shopping.