Assignment 1: Favourite Store (Li Ling (:)

My favorite store has to be Watson. It is a multi-purpose one-stop shop that I visit on a regular basis. Its accessibility and variety of goods also contribute significantly to the frequency with which I visit it (:

Reason #1: SALE!
It is perpetually on sale! Every time you visit the stall you see items on offer placed on shelves that allow you to have a bird’s eye view of the various items on sale. These items are usually cheap and have a wide variety – from small bottles of facial foam to lingerie to wet towels to snacks. The offer items change regularly, so each time you enter Watson, it’s a brand new experience because you never know if the next item on sale is something that you need to stock up on. The conspicuous locations of the said shelves also help to attract shoppers. For example, the shelves are found at the entrance (to attract shoppers, including those with no initial intention of visiting the store) and at the end of the aisle (for those who are already in the store and are browsing through). There are also shelves located near the cashier (to catch those who are about to pay). Even when you are simply browsing along the aisles, the price tags of the sale item inevitably attract your attention because the colour difference (red compared to the normal green colour).

Reason #2: It’s just, well, different.
It is simply not possible to label Watson under any conventional category you can possibly think of. The closest competitor to Watson in Singapore today would have to be Guardian, which fits comfortably in the category of a pharmacy due to its focus on various first aid equipment like dressings for wounds and first aid equipment. But when it comes to Watson, it fits somewhere between a pharmacy and a mini-mart. Sometimes, it also feels like a gift shop. It has the common first aid equipment, perhaps less extensive than that of Guardian, but definitely more than the common supermarket. It also has gift ideas especially during festive seasons like Christmas, ready-wrapped and affordable. At the same time it boasts of a wide range of cosmetics and beauty products from nail polish to face masks to foundation powder and mascaras. Of course, its wide array of snacks like many different brands of chocolates and sweets, and healthier alternatives like dried guava and oatmeal crackers. It also allows shoppers to stock up on daily essentials like contact lens solutions and toothpaste. It is in a league of its own in the commercial world, which differentiates itself from its competitors, making it exceptionally attractive to the average shopper.

Reason #3: It’s all about fitting in.
It is possible to find Watson in various places around the island, be it in neighbourhood estates or in shopping districts like Orchard Road and Bugis Street. Yet Watson never seems to look out of place. Its inherent ability to fit in no matter where it is located makes it very accessible and convenient, and a dependable place because all Watson stores in Singapore carry the same merchandise. There is no unwritten dress code to visit Watson – it matters little if you just woke up to visit the Watson store at your void deck in your sleeping attire, or if you decide to pick up something during your lunch break at work. I never feel out of place when I’m visiting Watson because there is no such thing as being too underdressed, the way some stores along the Orchard district make me feel. Watson exudes a kind of welcoming, all-encompassing yet vibrant feel by its usage of bright colours like the particular shade of green I never quite have the exact name of, and its use of bright lights and big square white floor tiles in the stores. Of course the absence of doors and windows at the entrance to all its stores makes shoppers and shoppers-to-be feel very comfortable as well.

Reason #4: The Watson brand.
From a commercial viewpoint, it is more lucrative to sell something that is produced in-house rather than products with other brands. Watson understands this, as do supermarkets like NTUC Fairprice, Giant and Shop & Save. But the said in-house products must of course be able to match up to those already available in the market. Watson is able to do this, to emulate others and providing it to their regulars at a price lower than that of market rate. It has dabbled with a variety of products such as sanitary pads and body mist. These products are available exclusively in Watson, and are comparable in quality to other, more expensive products. That ultimately, is what keeps me going back. (:

The average shopper is a female between the ages of 15 to 45. Males are less likely to visit the store, possibly because of Watson carries cosmetics, beauty products and toiletries. As for the type of research the retailers have had to do, I would think they have analyzed the psychology of the average shopper, because of the specific locations of the shelves that display items on offer. At the same time they probably started out trying to carve a niche for itself by providing a wide variety of goods that spices up the Watson shopping experience.

Watson is able to provide cheap deals and also high-quality in-house products that have made me a staunch Watson believer. Yet the one thing I have to gripe about is their plastic bags. The quality of the plastic bags they provide to shoppers is of sub-standard quality. It is the type that will stretch and become easily distorted when one places heavy things within. Especially when one is buying many things, or heavy things, it becomes a hassle when you see stretch marks (literally) on the plastic bag and wonder if it will break under the weight of your newly-bought products. Perhaps they should review the quality of plastic bags, or perhaps convert to paper carriers instead.

-Li Ling