Primary Data Collection Assignment- Observation Grocery Store Ethnography

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Florida International University *

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Feb 20, 2024

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1. A map of the grocery store, showing the places from which, you made your various observations. 2. Your raw notes (the notes you wrote while in the grocery store);  Date: 10/24/2023  Time: 5:34  Location: Publix  Observed a middle-aged woman in Publix in the in the deli area.  She kept look through the deli and produce section which indicated a big trip  The shopping started in the deli then work the the fresh produce section  She then look at the end caps to find the sale they had and picked up cereal  she then went to the dairy section, where she carefully picked up yogurt and milk. She took her time comparing brands and expiry dates.  She kept checking her phone, which I assumed was related to her list. She appeared to be marking items off the list as she placed them in her cart.  next stop was the frozen goods section.  she sent a lot of time in the frozen section  I saw that she was checking all the labels and see what was in the frozen food.  It look like she favor the gluten-free and sugar free item more than the regular item  She continued to the lanes checking more product with checking the BOGO sales for the can tomatoes, toothpaste, peanut butter, cleaning product, tea, and drinks  After the extensive exploration of the store, she proceeded to the bakery section.

 She selected a fresh loaf of bread and a few pastries, carefully checking for their freshness.  In the health and wellness aisle, she spent time comparing different vitamins and supplements.  She then headed to the checkout lanes with her cart filled with a variety of items.  At the checkout, she used her smartphone to access digital coupons and discounts for her purchases.  She engaged in friendly conversation with the cashier, discussing the store's promotions and upcoming sales events.  After completing her purchase, she neatly packed her groceries into reusable bags, showing her commitment to environmental responsibility.  She exited the store with a satisfied and accomplished expression, having completed her comprehensive shopping trip.  While leaving the store, she received a friendly greeting from the store manager, indicating that she might be a regular customer.  She carefully loaded her groceries into her well-organized car, ensuring that delicate items were placed securely.  As she drove away, she could be seen double-checking her receipt to ensure accuracy.  Her shopping trip displayed a thoughtful and health-conscious approach, focusing on gluten-free and sugar-free options in her selections.  The woman's attention to detail and methodical shopping style reflected a well-planned and efficient grocery run.  Her shopping list and coupon- clipping techniques demonstrated a savvy approach to saving money while getting the items she needed.  It was evident that the woman's shopping habits included both practicality and indulgence, as she balanced essentials like milk and cereal with pastries and snacks.  Her cart contained a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables, suggesting a balanced and nutritious diet.  The woman's phone usage during her shopping trip highlighted the integration of technology into modern grocery shopping, making the experience more convenient and organized.  The thorough examination of labels in the frozen section indicated a focus on dietary preferences or allergies, emphasizing her commitment to a healthy lifestyle.  She demonstrated environmental awareness by choosing reusable bags, aligning with sustainable shopping practices.  Her shopping experience at Publix appeared to be a well-rounded blend of practicality, health-consciousness, and smart budgeting.

3. Your cooked notes (the notes you typed up, filling in the holes); In 5:34 PM on October 24, 2023, I saw a middle-aged woman in Publix engaged in a thorough shopping expedition. Her methodical approach to food shopping was immediately apparent as soon as she walked inside the store. She began at the deli and took her time browsing the variety before making her way to the fresh produce department, giving away how much she was about to spend. She methodically crossed things off her shopping list on her smartphone, as if it were guiding her around the store. She browsed the vegetable and deli departments before making her way to the end caps in the hopes of finding deals. She showed off her ability to get a decent price when she grabbed a box of cereal in this area. She proceeded to the dairy department, where she showed discernment by carefully examining expiration dates and comparing yogurt and milk brands. Her phone was a necessary tool for the duration of her adventure. It seemed to hold her shopping list, which she painstakingly crossed off as each item found a spot in her cart. Her astute use of technology proved how efficient and well-organized she was. Her next stop was the frozen products department, where she approached label reading with an almost scientific method. She clearly preferred the sugar-free and gluten-free selections to the conventional ones. This demonstrated her dedication to a certain food preference and highlighted her choices that were health conscious. That was not the end of the voyage. The checkout lines drew her in, and she looked over each item carefully. Taking advantage of Publix's Buy One Get One (BOGO) deals on canned tomatoes, toothpaste, peanut butter, cleaning supplies, tea, and beverages, she made sure to

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maximize her savings. She was obviously a shrewd consumer, constantly searching for the greatest offers and reductions. After taking her time perusing the whole store, she made her way over to the bakery area. Here, she chose a few pastries and a fresh loaf of bread, showing a hint of luxury mixed with her practicality. Her colorful selection of fruits and vegetables in her cart, which suggested a wholesome and well-balanced diet, further demonstrated her balanced approach to grocery shopping. She spent time comparing various vitamins and supplements in the health and wellness section as part of her quest for a healthy lifestyle. This demonstrated her dedication to overall health. She demonstrated savvy budgeting by using her smartphone to retrieve digital coupons and discounts at the register. Her conversation with the cashier revealed a cordial relationship as they talked about in-store specials and forthcoming sales occasions. She demonstrated environmental awareness by carefully packing her items into reusable bags after making her final purchase. Her decision to purchase sustainably further demonstrated her environmental conscience. She wore a satisfied look as she left the store, having made a well-rounded purchase that matched her tastes and ideals. Her acquaintance with the kind greeting from the store manager suggested that she may be a frequent patron, highlighting her relationship to the business. She was meticulous even outside the store, packing her goods into her neatly arranged car and making sure that breakables were safely stored. It was obvious how well her shopping habits fit into her everyday routine.

She was observed scrutinizing her receipt twice as she drove away, making sure everything was correct because she lived a frugal lifestyle. The woman's Publix shopping experience was a well-rounded combination of common sense, health consciousness, and frugal spending. Her coupon-clipping strategies and shopping list showed that she was smart in finding ways to save costs without sacrificing the things she needed. Her attention to maintaining a healthy and sustainable lifestyle was demonstrated by her orderly and health-conscious grocery shopping habits. This customer served as an example of how grocery shopping can be a deliberate, health-conscious activity in addition to being a necessary practicality. 4. Your answers to the questions about cognition and social organization (above) – expressed as much as possible through your data (be specific about how the data answers the questions and quote directly from your cooked notes, when appropriate) A. Cognition The classification scheme is rationally arranged in the observed supermarket context to make shopping easier for customers. The main idea behind this system is to group together related goods. For instance, fresh fruit is grouped in one area, canned items in another, and dairy products in still another. With this layout, customers can find the things they need more quickly and traverse the store more effectively. The cognitive comprehension of the supermarket's structure is also reflected in it, as customers frequently anticipate finding particular product categories in particular sections. In this instance, the customer's decisions were influenced by her shopping list and personal tastes. Her shopping procedure appears to be somewhat organized, as evidenced by the fact that

she used her smartphone to access and refer to her list. She demonstrated how to effectively use technology to support her cognitive organizing of the shopping experience by marking off goods as she put them in her basket. Additionally, the customer created a "cognitive map" that directed her through the store by drawing on her familiarity with the layout of the specific supermarket or maybe supermarkets in general. She was able to streamline her shopping experience since she knew where to find the dairy section, the deli, and other locations. This comprehension of the store's layout demonstrates how customers create a mental map of the space, which aids in their navigation and allows them to quickly find the items they were hoping to purchase. Further investigations showed that the shopper's food choices had an impact on her cognitive map as well. Her choices demonstrated a strong concentration on sugar- and gluten-free goods, indicating that her cognitive map took into account not only the actual store layout but also her own requirements and objectives. Her attentive label reading in the freezer area demonstrated her awareness of dietary limitations and concern for her health, which further emphasized the cognitive processes involved in her purchasing decisions. B. Social Organization: Supermarkets draw a wide range of individuals from different demographic backgrounds since they are a popular place to do grocery shopping. This particular observation concerned a woman in her middle years. The purpose of the social rules at a supermarket is to keep everything in order and make sure that everyone has a good time shopping. At the checkout, customers are required to line up appropriately and observe the first-come, first-served rule. In order to facilitate easy traffic flow, they should also refrain from obstructing aisles and behave

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civilly and thoughtfully toward store employees and other customers. These guidelines are necessary to establish a peaceful retail setting. The general social standards controlling a shopper's behavior include cooperativeness, patience, and respect for personal space. Here, the observed customer followed the guidelines by striking up a cordial discussion with the cashier, exhibiting civility and a desire to socialize. She also remained socially distant, showing that she respected the personal space of other customers and followed safety precautions. It's important to highlight that no rule infractions were seen during this shopping excursion, indicating that social organization in the supermarket was likely kept up to date and that everyone had a good time shopping. C. Recommendations & Reflections on Conducting Observations: A number of adjustments and factors may be taken into account to improve the results for both the company and the customer. First, a more pleasurable shopping atmosphere may be achieved by enhancing the atmospherics, which include temperature, color schemes, and lighting. For instance, you may create a more friendly atmosphere in specific areas, like the bakery, by employing warm and pleasant lighting. Clear signage and well-designed store layouts may also facilitate customers' finding of things and enhance their entire shopping experience. Retailers should also think about ways to enhance the buying experience by providing more information and engagement. Shopping trips may be made more enjoyable by utilizing technology, such as store applications that offer tailored recommendations based on a customer's tastes and previous purchases. To encourage purchases, location-based discounts and promotions can also be made available.

One of the main concerns raised by customers throughout the shopping excursion was the lack of easily available and understandable information about deals and promotions. Since consumers frequently look for sales and discounts, making information about current promotions clear may enhance the buying experience. The observable shopper's usage of reusable bags brought attention to sustainable buying practices. Retailers may further encourage environmentally friendly behavior by providing rewards or discounts to consumers who choose sustainable packaging choices or bring their own bags. When it comes to consumer guidance, it is critical to organize shopping excursions well, utilize technology that is readily available (e.g., digital coupons and shopping lists), and keep an eco-friendly and health-conscious mindset. In order to optimize savings and take the environmental effect of their decisions into consideration, consumers should keep themselves updated on current discounts and deals. Looking back on the exercise, making observations gave us important information about how customers behave in a store. It demonstrated the value of efficiency and organization when shopping, as well as the critical role that technology plays in today's retail environments. Recognizing the effects of social norms and cognitive elements can assist shops in establishing a more peaceful and customer-friendly shopping atmosphere. 5. Your reflections on the process of doing the assignment, your problems (and solutions) for investigating the questions, and what you learned by conducting and writing about the observation. This job offered a rare chance to investigate and evaluate customer behavior in an actual environment. The assignment's completion process was enlightening and stimulating, providing important insights into the mechanics of grocery shopping and the social and cognitive factors

that influence this activity. The requirement for cautious and non-intrusive observation was one of the main obstacles to answering the questions. It's critical to protect customers' privacy and avoid interfering with their regular purchasing routines. In order to overcome this difficulty, I took a covert stance and observed the customer without obstructing their experience. This gave me the opportunity to collect information without compromising the integrity of the retail setting. Careful attention to detail was necessary while gathering data on the cognitive components of the shopper's experience. This required not just watching what she did but also drawing conclusions about her thought processes based on things like the fact that she makes shopping lists on her smartphone and that she favors particular features in products. I discovered that correct deductions regarding cognitive processes require close observation and a thorough comprehension of the purchasing environment. It was also interesting to investigate the supermarket's social structure. It might be difficult to comprehend the unwritten standards of conduct in a public place such as a supermarket. There were no infractions of these guidelines in this specific instance, nevertheless. This demonstrates how well these social norms work to make sure that everyone has a pleasant and easy time shopping. Regarding the knowledge I gained from carrying out and documenting the observation, this task offered significant perspectives into the intricacies of customer behavior inside a retail environment. It emphasized how important technology is to contemporary shopping, with cellphones being a useful tool for ease and organizing. Furthermore, as customer tastes and values changed, the significance of sustainability and health-conscious buying behaviors became a recurring topic. The assignment also stressed how crucial a store's ambiance and layout are in determining how customers perceive their shopping experiences. The layout, lighting, and

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signage are all important factors in ensuring that customers have a pleasurable and efficient shopping experience. All things considered, this project was a fascinating investigation of supermarket patron behavior that illuminated the cognitive, social, and environmental elements that impact the purchasing encounter. It underlined how important it is for merchants to comprehend these factors in order to build a more peaceful and customer-friendly retail space.

Primary Data Collection Assignment- Observation Grocery Store Ethnography

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