Instore Research

Hollister:

> As there is only 2 Abercrombie and Fitch stores in the UK the closest store under the company to me is the Hollister store in Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.
> When I visited the store it was not very busy with there only being around 10 people in the store at the same time as me which could suggest that Hollister isn't very popular. However I do have to take into consideration that I visited at around midday on a Tuesday in January when the majority of people will have been in work and school and so if I had visited, for example, in the summer holidays my results most likely would have been different and probably higher.

Storefront:

> The store front is quite minimal with only one window showcasing one mannequin and a screen adorning Hollister's latest campaign and season.

> With the exterior of the store being very dark and there not being much on display outside of the store of the clothes I feel like this can be quite intimidating to new customers and so only people who actually know the brand will shop there.

Interior:

> The interior of Hollister has ties to the traditional American feel of Abercrombie and Fitch with the walls being covered in wood panelling similar to a beach hut and the tills decorated with surfboards for an American beach theme.

> However the walls and furniture are all quite dark in colour, dimming the store and so the products are lit up with spotlights hanging from the ceiling, similar to the old style of Abercrombie and Fitch which was known for its dark stores.

Displays / Point of sales:

> The store itself doesn't have many advertisements around it of models wearing Hollister's clothes but the ones that they do have are large posters showcasing the latest season's items that are on offer, in this case they all showed winter clothes as I visited in January.

> Around the clothes there are small posters with the title "Must-have" with models showing how, for example, the basic t-shirts look on. As customers have the visual aid from the posters of how the shirts look on this could potentially make them more likely to make a purchase.

> The sale items in the store stood out as they are sign posted with bright red posters and large text saying how much the products are on sale for. There was also large red posters outside of the store which will entice shoppers to look in the store as they have the potential to make a big saving as at the time I visited a lot of items were on sale for 40% or 50% off. As the posters are so bright it catches the customers eye making them more likely to look at what's on offer.

Products:

> The majority of products on sale were casual and comfy clothing such as t-shirts, jumpers and jogging bottoms, with little to none 'formal wear' items.

> Most of the items are displayed in a folded fashion on tables which I think looks good, however it can make it difficult to see the whole product and so cause the displays to become messy as customers have unfolded the product to view it. However I do also think that this is a good strategy as it make customers less likely to disregard an item because they have to pick it up to see the whole product and so may make them more likely to buy.

> In the back of the store there was a section with a large amount of products hung up which appeared to be last seasons items that were on sale for a discounted price.

> I think the hero products of the store are the t-shirts with the signature Hollister bird on them as there were multiple tables full of t-shirts around the store with the majority of them being situated as soon as you walk in the store.

> The store also sells beauty products such as body lotions and sprays with a large wall of them positioned opposite the tills which I think is done purposely to make customers consider to purchase them on their way to pay. Smaller versions of the body sprays were also stacked under the tills to encourage impulse purchases.

Similarities to Abercrombie and Fitch in London:

> There are similarities between the Sheffield Hollister store and London's flagship Abercrombie and Fitch store in terms of their interiors. The A&F store also is designed with a dark interior and intense ceiling spotlights to illuminate the products.
> The London store, similar to the Sheffield store has little advertisement outside of the store other than the bright red sale posters.
> A uniqueness to the London store however is that they sell products exclusive to that store increasing the selling point of these products to customers as they are not widely available.
(London pictures from Georgia Mellor)

Competitor Instore Experience