Payless Stores Case Study

Have you ever walked into a store and have an employee bombard you with a million questions? Payless associates are required to ask you questions and tell you information about the store as soon as you walk in the door and throughout your visit. Payless uses distinct tactics to get consumers to want to buy their shoes and accessories, which can swindle money away from unsuspecting customers. Ever since senior year in high school until now, I have worked in six different Payless stores. Payless has shoes for children starting at newborn sizes to teen sizes. They also sell women’s shoes as small as size 5 up to size 13. The men’s shoes start at boys’ size 6 and go up to a men’s size 15. Although Payless has shoes for all sizes and genders, Payless …show more content…
Each Payless store has a similar, but different layout to it. Some stores are super stores, some are located in a mall, and others are located in a strip mall. Depending on the type of Payless store that it is, the signage and displays alternate. For instance, the Berkshire Mall Payless has six end panels to display signs and shoes versus the Payless in Broadcast Square shopping center which only has four. In this case, Payless is given a layout of what shoes and sign to put on which end panel. Usually the end panels consist of the shoes that are on sale matched with a poster of a model wearing them with matching accessories from the store. At the mall, other end panels have the Safety Step brand shoes displayed because employees who work in the food court are required to wear those shoes for safety. However, at the Broadcast Square Payless, the display is a style and brand of shoe that is popular in the store. During prom season all Payless’ have a display of heels and flats that are natural in color and flashy to attract women customers who will be needing them to match their prom dresses. When a new season is coming up, that season of shoes and accessories will also be displayed throughout the store. For example, right now is Fall and coming up in Winter, therefore, the majority of the displays consist of low boots, high boots, all weather boots, and snow boots. The …show more content…
88). Through Payless’ displays and posters, customers are more likely to buy a product when an idea is displayed on an end panel or they can relate to the model’s outfit in the poster. “Visual merchandising is a process that stages merchandise the customer wants in the right place, at the right time…” which references how Payless displays shoes according to season (Park et al., 2015, p. 88) Payless also uses different lighting throughout the store, which helps customers to see the popular merchandise and what is on sale. Park et al., (2015) mentions, “…increased levels of light stimulate to consumers’ arousal and pleasure…” (p. 88). When selling shoes and accessories in the aisle to customers, associates like to sell our popular name brand products such as Christian Siriano and American Eagle. “In retail, the company name can also be the brand promoted,” which Payless uses for these two brands by having them say for Payless on them (Anitsal, Anitsal, & Girard, 2012, p. 82). Another form of persuasion Payless uses is the central route to persuasion, which is when a person is persuaded by the message content. “Still other retailers emphasize customer savings in terms of money and time as in the following examples: Payless Shoesource: “Look smart. Pay less.” (Anitsal et al., 2012, p.