...revised

Shopping is not just about the exchange of commodities, but about experience.

This experience I would like to focus on is the kind that is related to sociability.

Social experience increases the interaction between people and communities. (including physical connectivity and virtual communication - hence, this social experience is not limited to time and space.)

In my thesis, I am going to analyse Selfridges on how they work on this "shopping experience" which they are always promoting, particularly focus on how that related to sociability.

It will be a photo analysis in which I will take photos from different part of the store.

I would also like to divide it into 2 sections: hardware + software (in which, hardware includes the spatial arrangement of commodities, direction signs on floor and ceiling, window display, escalator, etc. and software includes the (intangible) service that Selfridges' sales provide in different counters, around escalator, around entrance and how that leads to the usage of social network on mobile phone at that time.)

What I have found from the site analysis -

Hardware: 1. Most goods are displayed below eye-level, this allows people in the store to be able to see other happenings in other parts of the store 2. The visual experience of the store is really mostly about the display of goods. 3. Display of goods is colourful and like a fantasy.

-> Design: The entire landscape is composed of consumer objects. Colourful, dreamy and fantasy will be the atmosphere. And using the depth of camera (or other means), other activities will be shown at the background while the main action happens in the foreground.

Software: 1. In different parts of the store, customers are welcomed to try out different products, e.g. tasting corner for new food product, manicure product, games console, music in hmv, etc.

-> Design: This service of trying something new satisfies customers' appetitte for novelty and in a way favours the mode of collaborative consumption - since in this mode, people get to try out more products with a fixed amount of money, in the condition that they do not own the products, they just consume them in a fixed period of time. To put that into design strategy, people occupy and use the object from the landscape in a fixed period of time, throughout the timeline, that object transforms / changes to other usage by other people.

Originally, I would like to know if there is any new direction / plan that Selfridges is planning right now for the future which is targeted to improve shopping experience in the Oxford Street Store, particularly about social experience, like any kind of measures which is designed to increase social interaction. However, I got their reply from email saying that they couldn't disclose such information. I am planning to include those technologies existed in shopping industry in other places but Selfridges in the "Selfridges Case Study: Future" section, so as to supply the possibility of having those in Selfridges and have those technologies in my film.

N.B. I have taken out the "living/home" bits from the project at the moment (as I think that might be a distraction). I hope there is enough meat for the project.