PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

IN SHOPPING CENTERS

PRAKHAR VIRENDRA
2010BARC048

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION IN SHOPPING CENTERS

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED AS A PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE,
BHOPAL.

9TH SEMESTER
YEAR: 2014

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CERTIFICATE

Certified that seminar work entitled PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION IN SHOPPING CENTERS is a bonafide
work carried out in the ninth semester by PRAKHAR VIRENDRA_2010BARC048 in partial fulfillment
for the award of Bachelor of Architecture from School of Planning And Architecture, during the
academic year 2014-2015.

____________________________
SIGNATURE
Asst. Prof. Parama Mitra
(Subject Coordinator)

____________________________
SIGNATURE
Assoc. Prof. Piyush Hajela
(Topic Guide/Mentor)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the people who helped and supported me while writing this
seminar paper.
I am thankful to my mentor, Assoc. Prof. Piyush Hajela, for his constant guidance, suggestions and
insightful reviews through this project.
I thank my subject coordinator, Asst. Prof. Parama Mitra for her constant efforts to guide us and
motivate us regarding the subject.
I also thank my institution for providing me the opportunity to learn about my dissertation and
research area and appreciate the people who directly or indirectly helped me.

PRAKHAR VIRENDRA
Vth Year, B.Arch,
School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

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ABSTRACT

PEDESTRAIN CIRCULATION IN SHOPPING CENTERS

Shoppers move like people, pretty much as their bodies allow them to, in their natural
way. Their movement through retail environments is guided by their deep-seated
psychology and most of these principles are universal. This report summarizes the
behavioral psychology of a shopper and various case studies to draw conclusions for
designing a circulation that is in accordance with the shoppers' natural flow, rather
than forcing it through design.

Keywords: retail environments, behavioral psychology, natural flow

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Table of Contents
1.

Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 7

2.

Background Study.................................................................................................................................. 8

3.

Purpose of Study .................................................................................................................................... 8

4.

A Brief History of Shopping Malls ........................................................................................................ 9

5.

Types of Shopping Centers .................................................................................................................12

6.

Factors affecting the success of a Shopping Mall............................................................................12

6.1.

Context of Shopping Mall................................................................................................................16

6.2.

Circulation in a Shopping Mall .......................................................................................................17

6.3.

Recreational Facilities in a Shopping Mall ....................................................................................17

6.4.

Parking in a Shopping Mall .............................................................................................................17

7.

Behavioral psychology of a shopper .................................................................................................19

7.1.

Summary of Behavioral Study........................................................................................................21

7.2.

Major Factors ....................................................................................................................................24

8.

Literature Study ...................................................................................................................................25

8.1

Objective of Study ............................................................................................................................25

8.2

Scope and Limitations .....................................................................................................................25

8.3

Key Findings .....................................................................................................................................26

8.4

Design Implications .........................................................................................................................26

9.

Circulation Design for Physically Challenged..................................................................................28

9.1.

Accessible entrance ........................................................................................................................28

9.2.

Access to products and services ....................................................................................................28

9.3.

Usability of Rest rooms ...................................................................................................................29

9.4.

Additional access .............................................................................................................................29

10.

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................30

11.

Bibliography .........................................................................................................................................31

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List of Figures
Figure 1:View of Trajans Market (source:wikimedia.org) ..............................................................................................11
Figure 2: Trajans market interior(source:listverse.com)...............................................................................................11
Figure 3: Highland Park Village (source: dallasveganweek.com) ............................................................................11
Figure 4: Senior Auto Mall, Gurgaon (fortunerealtech.com)......................................................................................15
Figure 5:Foothill Village Oaks neighborhood Center,roseville (vanirdevelopement.com)........................15
Figure 6: St. Jacobs Factory outlet, canada (canada-photos.com) .........................................................................15

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1. Introduction
The Urban population of India consists of approx. 370 million people (Census 2011) living in
over 5000 cities and towns. Out of these, about 40% live in 60 metropolitan cities. It is projected
that by 2020, the urban population of India will grow to 468 million. And with a rising GDP at
around 8% (1.877 trillion USD, 2013), overall revenue in shopping, including those of small
shops, is expected to grow to Rs. 28,70,000 crore by 2015 at current price which will rank India
fifth among world's retail markets. And with such environment building up, Shopping Malls have
proven to be the beasts in business. They are the ultimate selling machine.
This paper starts with a very brief history of Shopping Malls, to understand how the whole
concept of it came into existence and how it developed over a long period of time. Although the
concept of Shopping Malls may seem recent to some, the roots of it are found to nested in the
ancient Roman empire. The evolution of Shopping Malls from ancient
What follows the history is the classification and typologies of Shopping Malls explained briefly.
A major part of this report deals with the behavioral psychology of shoppers, how they move,
how they get attracted towards a shop or different products and what makes them spend more
time and money inside the retail environment.
This paper also lists down some principles and techniques that should be kept in mind while
planning out a mall. Guidelines for making the circulation design universal have also been
explained in brief.

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2. Background Study
In order to write this dissertation, excessive research work was required to understand the behavior
and psychology of people that comes in play when they are within the premises of any retail
environment. This also included the study of normal human tendencies when they walk, talk or
interact in public spaces. The knowledge anthropometry and comfortable environments was also
required in order to continue with this topic.

3. Purpose of Study
The success of any retail environment depends on a lot of factors but not all of them fall under the
architect's scope. Assuming that the stores inside a mall are designed separately, circulation
becomes the biggest factor under the architect's scope. The aim of this study is to form guidelines
that can improve the overall success and shopping experience of a mall by planning of intelligent
and user friendly circulation patterns that are embraced by the diverse crowd using them.

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4. A Brief History of Shopping Malls

The concept of Shopping centers has been in existence since ancient Greek and Roman eras. In
ancient Greece, the central shopping area of a city was called the agora and consisted of a large,
open area in which merchants could display and sell their products. The first established
shopping mall was built by Emperor Trajan in Rome nearly 2,000 years before the modern
shopping center. This market was constructed in Trajans forum and consisted of a semi-circular
building with a large vaulted hall, resembling a basilica, on top. The Emperors market included
an array of shops, all of which faced a corridor, allowing customers to view the products and
goods for sale. This center also featured several restaurants and bars, an important precursor to
todays mix of stores and shops included in shopping centers. 'The market consisted of several
levels and more than 150 outlets that sold a wide variety of products including luxury clothing,
silks, spices, and fresh food. Trajans Forum and the market were built nearly 2,000 years before
the first recognized modern shopping center.' (Gruen and Smith, 1960) The following text
dictates the events of major significance in the history of shopping in a chronological order.
The modern shopping center, which includes the small suburban strip center as well as the
million-square-foot superregional malls, originated in the 1920s. 'In 1928, Grandview Avenue
Shopping Center in Columbus, Ohio was opened. This large center included nearly 300 stores
and

parking

lot

which

could

accommodate

nearly

400

cars.'

(http://www.onlinemarketingdegree.net/resources/history-of-shopping-center/)
Many historians consider Highland Park Shopping Village in Dallas, Texas to be the first actual
planned shopping center. The Village was developed by Hugh Prather in 1931 and included a
collection of stores built with a unified structure and theme.

'The late 1930s and 1940s witnessed the establishment and expansion of the commercial chains
Sears Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward. These stores were set far away from large cities,
accompanied with parking lots with ample space. In the early 1950s, Northgate in Seattle,
Washington featured branches of major downtown department stores surrounded by smaller
commercial shops. Soon after, Shoppers World in Framingham, Massachusetts was the first twoPage | 9

level center in the United States and was established in 1951. Later, in 1954, Northland Center in
Detroit, Michigan utilized the cluster layout, which consisted of a single department store at
the center and a collection of smaller stores surrounding it. Important features of Northland
included

surrounding

parking

lots

and

central

air-conditions

and

heating.'

http://www.onlinemarketingdegree.net/resources/history-of-shopping-center/)
In the years immediately following World War II, the expansion of suburban development and
population growth created the need for additional housing options and more convenient retail
shopping. An increasing number of centers built in the post-World War II years were strip centers
which served new housing developments.
'In 1976, the Rouse Company developed Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts
which revolutionized the history of the shopping center. This Market was the first festival
marketplace built in the United States. Festival marketplaces typically centered upon food and
retail specialty items. Other similar marketplaces followed in locations such as Baltimore, New
York and Miami. With the opening of Water Tower Place in Chicago, Illinois in the late 1970s, the
shopping center industry had returned to a more urban location.'
( http://www.onlinemarketingdegree.net/resources/history-of-shopping-center/)
More than 16,000 centers were built between 1980 and 1990. This decade was characterized by
the increase in superregional shopping centers, which were malls measuring more than 800,000
square feet. Factory outlet centers became increasingly popular throughout 1990s. Outlet malls
provided manufacturers with the opportunity to sell their own goods at discounted prices.
In addition to factory outlets, entertainment centers played a crucial role throughout the 1990s.
Seeking to incorporate forms of entertainment, shopping centers began to offer a variety of
activities, such as childrens play areas, live music, movies in large, multiplex cinemas, food
courts, amusement parks, merchandising techniques, robotic animal displays, and other
interactive demonstrations.

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FIGURE 1:VIEW OF TRAJANS MARKET (SOURCE:WIKIMEDIA.ORG)

FIGURE 2: TRAJANS MARKET INTERIOR(SOURCE:LISTVERSE.COM)

FIGURE 3: HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE (SOURCE: DALLASVEGANWEEK.COM)

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5. Types of Shopping Centers

The concept of shopping centre is not limited to one or two types of buildings. The National
Research Bureau (NRB) has identified following typologies of shopping centers that are found all
around the globe
(Source:Shopping Center Classifications: Challenges and Opportunities, James R. Delisle)

Airport Retail. A consolidation of retail stores located within a commercial airport. This
would not include restaurants and other scattered retail shops along concourses, if not part
of a concentrated shopping area.

Auto Mall. A strip center consisting of retail stores aimed at the needs of automobiles such
as auto dealerships, oil changes, and auto parts.

Community Center. Has a wider range of facilities for the sale of soft lines (apparel) and
hard lines (hardware, appliances, etc.) than the neighborhood center. It is built around a
junior department store, variety store, or discount department store as the major tenant, in
addition to a supermarket. It does not have a full-line department store, though it may have a
strong specialty store. In theory, the typical size is 150,000 square feet. In practice, it may
range in size from 100,000 to 300,000 square feet.

Convenience Center. A small strip center that provides convenience goods (food, drug, etc.)
and/or services (laundry, cleaners, copying, etc.) for the busy one-stop-shopper.

Discount Center. A center in which a discount store is the major tenant in the development
with additional retail space consisting of smaller retail tenants and/or a supermarket. This
type of center usually draws a lower socioeconomic group as compared to the off-price
center. They are considered part of the Value Retail group of centers.

Factory Outlet. A center consisting of manufacturer's retail outlet facilities where goods are
sold directly to the public in stores owned and operated by manufacturers. In contrast to
factory outlets of the past typically found at the factory sites, today's factory outlet stores are
located in mall or center settings and often sell first quality, current season merchandise.
Factory outlet malls draw a combination of middle and lower socioeconomic group
customers and often include some off-price stores.
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Festival/Entertainment Center. A center consisting primarily of food and specialty

retailers and entertainment facilities. Many times, the center may be an adaptive reuse or
mixed use development and has a heavy concentration of tourist traffic.

Home Improvement Center. A center anchored by a home improvement retailer or with a

concentration of home improvement/hardware specialty retailers.

Lifestyle Center. An upscale, specialty retail, Main Street concept shopping center. An
open center, usually without anchors, about 300,000 SF GLA or larger, located near affluent
neighborhoods, includes upscale retail, trendy restaurants and entertainment retail. Nicely
landscaped with convenient parking located close to the stores.

Mixed Use Development. A relatively large-scale real estate project with (1) three or more
significant revenue-producing uses (e.g., retail, office, residential, hotel/motel, and
recreational) which are mutually supporting and developed as a unit; (2) significant
functional and physical integration of project components, including uninterrupted
pedestrian connections; and (3) development in conformance with a coherent plan.

Neighborhood Center. Provides for the sale of convenience goods (food, drugs, and
sundries) and personal services (laundry and dry cleaning, barbering, shoe repairing, etc.) for
the day-to-day living needs of the immediate neighborhood with a supermarket being the
principal tenant. In theory, the neighborhood center has a GLA of 50,000 square feet. In
practice, it may range in size from 30,000 to 100,000 square feet. NRB includes all centers
less than 100,000 SF GLA in this category of center type.

Off-Price Center. A center consisting of retail stores that offer brand name goods found in
conventional specialty and department stores at 20 to 70 percent below manufacturer's
suggested prices. The goods found in an off-price store are generally of higher quality than
those found at a discount store. Off price centers draw primarily customers of the middle and
middle-upper socioeconomic group.

Power Center. An open strip center with three to five non-traditional, specialty anchors,
accounting for more than 75% of the GLA with the GLA of a few smaller tenants accounting
for the balance.

Regional Center. Provides shopping goods, general merchandise, apparel, furniture, and
home furnishings in full depth and variety. It is built around the full-line department store
with a minimum GLA of 100,000 square feet, as the major drawing power. For even greater
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comparative shopping, two, three, or more department stores may be included. In theory a
regional center has a GLA of 400,000 square feet, and may range from 300,000 to more than
1,000,000 square feet. Regional Centers in excess of 750,000 square feet GLA with three or
more department stores are considered Super Regional. NRB includes all centers from
300,000 to 749,999 SF GLA in this category of center type.

Strip Center. A line of stores often tied together by a canopy over the sidewalk, which runs
along the fronts of the stores. A configuration of an open (non-enclosed) shopping center,
which may vary greatly in size.

Super Regional Center. Provides for an extensive variety of general merchandise. It is built
around three or more major department stores. In theory, a super regional center has a GLA
of 750,000 square feet; and in practice, this ranges upwards of 1,000,000 square feet. The
major anchor department stores generally have a square footage of 100,000 square feet
each. NRB includes all centers 750,000 SF GLA and larger in this category of center type.

Theme/Specialty. Centers that are quite diverse in thematic format, size, and market
orientation but share common features that distinguish them from other centers employ a
unifying theme in architectural design which is carried out by the individual shops; anchored
by restaurants and entertainment facilities rather than department stores or supermarkets;
strongly appeal to tourists as well as local shoppers; and their tenants typically offer unusual
merchandise.

Upscale/Fashion Center. A center comprised of a concentration of apparel shops,

boutiques, and handcraft shops carrying selected merchandise, usually of high quality and
high price. A fashion-oriented center may include one or more small specialty department
store and gourmet food and food service stores. These centers are most often located in
high-income areas.

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FIGURE 4: SENIOR AUTO MALL, GURGAON (FORTUNEREALTECH.COM)

FIGURE 5:F OOTHILL VILLAGE OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER,ROSEVILLE (VANIRDEVELOPEMENT.COM)

F IGURE 6: ST. JACOBS F ACTORY OUTLET, CANADA (CANADA-PHOTOS.COM)

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6. Factors affecting the success of Shopping Mall

The basic idea of shopping malls is to conduct a business and earn some profit while doing it. When
it comes to success, there can be numerous factors affecting it in the context of Shopping Malls.
But architectural success is a different thing. It is within the scope of the architect to explore
different design phenomenon to create a design that is architecturally a success. This chapter will
look at the effect of the following design phenomenon to the architectural success of shopping
malls.
6.1

Context of the shopping mall

6.2

Circulation in the shopping malls

6.3

Recreational facilities provided in the shopping malls

6.4

Parking in the shopping malls

6.1.

Context of Shopping Mall

The context of a shopping mall is very important and should be considered in the design of any
shopping mall. It is the factor that determines how shoppers and other patrons relate with the mall
in question, and how the mall fits into the environment in which it is designed for, thereby avoiding
architectural misfits in the given environ. To be considered include climatic, cultural and historic
contexts for the design of any mall to be considered as successful . It is evident from the various
background studies tha for any shopping mall design to be considered architecturally successful
(and for any design of any built type for that matter), context has to play a role in the design of that
mall. The architect/designer has to have the context of the site in his mind throughout the design
process or else the design will seem foreign, which will definitely work against the architectural
success of the mall.

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6.2.

Circulation in a Shopping Mall

Circulation in a shopping mall is of utmost importance. From the entrance to the aisles and the
interconnection of spaces within the mall, signage and ease of way-finding, all these play a vital role
in ensuring the comfort of the shoppers within the mall. Both external circulation and internal
circulation are of equal importance. The external circulation determines how shoppers navigate
from the parking and the main entrance to the entrance into the shopping mall buildings. The ease
at which this happens, contributes to the architectural success of the mall and to how often the
shoppers will re-visit the mall. This explains why most shopping malls plan their parking lots in front
of the entrances to the shopping mall buildings. Many amenities like resting benches & waste bins
that act as break-points in circulation to

6.3.

Recreational Facilities in a Shopping Mall

As much as shopping is a recreational activity in itself to some people, most people don't consider
shopping a recreational activity. They shop when they need to, and what is bought in most cases is
strictly what is needed. Recreational facilities act positively in attracting many people to shopping
malls. These facilities range from diners, movie halls, sports to gaming electronically. It has already
been established that a successful shopping mall should not only focus on leasing spaces to shops,
but also to create recreational spaces which in themselves are also a source of revenue to the
shopping mall investors. Different shopping malls have created different recreational activities
within their premises. All of them however have one or more diners and cafes, which means that
this is of importance. Diners/cafeterias allow for shoppers to relax after/within their shopping
activities and have meals/drinks at the same premises. In fact, many people visit malls for these
recreational activities only. They also ensure that people of a wider age bracket are taken care of,
from children to adults. This turns visits to shopping malls into exciting endeavors for all.

6.4.

Parking in a Shopping Mall

Another factor that affects the success and the functionality of a shopping mall is its parking. This is
the first and the last impression, since the shoppers who arrive with vehicles access it first and last.
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This means that if the parking of a certain mall is not well worked out to deal with the volume of
vehicular flow that visits the mall, both in size and layout, then chances of a shopper revisiting the
mall are slim. The position of the parking lot also serves a lot in enhancing the performance of the
mall. This explains why most shopping malls position their parking lots (or part of their parking lots)
near the main entrance at the main access point into the malls premises. This is to ensure ease of
access into the shopping malls. The layout of the parking is also important. Many shopping malls
apply angle parking. This is because it saves on space and also easier to park and come out as
opposed to the linear parking. Beautification of the parking lot is also important. This helps in
avoiding ugliness of the parking lot since the surface material of the parking lots (micro-concrete
paving slabs and tarmac) is not a friendly view, especially when they are used extensively as is the
case with shopping malls. Parking lots should also be well lighted to improve on their security, as
this is an area where potential muggers and burglars are more likely to lurk. Lighting also gives the
shoppers a sense of security and thus makes the premises more comfortable to the shopper.

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7. Behavioral psychology of a shopper

To explore the principles of circulation design for shoppers, we must first understand that shoppers
are basically people and people move pretty much as their bodies allow them to move. This chapter
explains the behavioral psychology of a shopper with the help of studies done by Paco Underhill
and penned down by him in 'Why we buy- The Science of Shopping' and also explains the various
phenomenon that come in play when pedestrian movement in the context.
A good store is by definition one that exposes the greatest portion of its goods to the greatest
number of its shoppers for the longest period of time. The store, in other words, that puts its
merchandise in our path and our field of vision in a way that invites consideration. If a store's flow is
good, if it offers no obstacles or blind spots, people will find their way to every nook and cranny. If
there's a problem with flow, some flaw in the design or the layout, then we'll find some lonesome
corners. A smart store is then in accordance with how we walk and where we look. It understands,
our habits of movement and takes advantage of them, rather than ignoring them or, even worse,
trying to change them. 'Here's a simple example: People slow down when they see reflective
surfaces. And they speed up when they see banks. The reasons are. understandable: Bank windows
are boring, and nobody much likes visiting a bank anyway, so let's get past it quickly; mirrors, on the
other hand, are never dull. Armed with this information, what do you do?' (Paco Underhill,2009)
Well, never open a store next to a financial institution, for when pedestrians reach you they'll still be
moving at a speed too fast for window-shopping. Or, if you can't help being next to a bank, you can
make sure to have a mirror or two on your facade or in your windows, to slow shoppers down. Here's
another fact about how people move (in retail environments' but also everywhere else): They
invariably walk toward the right. You
don't notice this unless you're looking for it, but it's true-when people enter a store they head
rightward. Not a sharp turn, but more like a drift. Although some sources debate that this effect is
only seen in countries where they drive to the right hand lane but here in this report, I'll consider it a
universal fact.
A study was performed at a department store where just to the right of the entrance was the
menswear department. And by the count, the overwhelming majority of shoppers in the store was
female. Having menswear there meant that women shoppers would simply sail through the section,
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barely looking at the merchandise, determined to get to their main destination. In fact, because the
front door was in the center of the store rather than to one side,so lots of women who walked in,
stepped right, looked around and saw that they were in menswear, then veered off sharply to the
women's apparel sections on the left side of the store, also missing the children's section which was
on the rear right side. The survey sheets showed that children's clothing was the least-visited
section in the entire store; fully half of the main floor was going under visited due to this error in
planning because female customers never even saw it! An obvious solution to this adjacency mixup would be to place. the children's clothing section at the rear of the women's apparel section,
rather than men's.
A similar situation held at an electronics store was studied. There, the cash/wrap was against the
left-hand wall, near the front of the store. Shoppers would enter and head right, but then see the
register and the clerks and turn sharply left so they could examine the merchandise there or ask
where to find what they had come for. In some cases, those shoppers headed toward the rear to
browse the displays there. They were moving in a kind of question-mark track. To alter that, the
register was moved to the right-hand wall and farther back, about halfway into the store. That then
became the main hub of activity. A second area of high shopper interest, a telephone. display; was
installed on the right wall but closer to the front. The hope was that shoppers would enter, walk
right toward the cash register area, and then visit the phone displays. Those adjustments shifted the
store around to a configuration more natural to how people move, and instantly; the circulation
patterns improved. More people saw more store.
Shoppers' not only walk .right, they reach right, too, most of them being right-handed. Imagine
standing at a shelf, facing it-it's easiest to grab items to the right of where you stand, rather than
reaching your arm across your body to the left. In fact, as you reach, your hand may inadvertently
brush a product to the right of the one you're reaching for. So if a store wishes to place something
into the hand of a shopper, it should be displayed just slightly to the right of where he or she will be
standing. Planograms, the maps of which products are stocked where on a shelf, are determined
with this in mind: If you're stocking cookies, for instance, the most popular brand goes dead centerat the bull's-eye-and the brand you're trying to build goes just to the right of it. An even simpler
aspect of how people move is the one that raises the greatest number of logistical issues for stores.
In fact, this particular peculiarity of human ambulation can be said to render nearly every retail
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space seriously ill-suited to its purpose. It's this: People face and walk forward. The implications of
this are enormous, only because the normal retail environment is actually designed for those
nonexistent beings who walk sideways-sidling like the figures drawn in ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs-rather than place one foot in front of the other. Picture it: If you're walking straight
down a store aisle, you're looking ahead. It requires an effort to turn your head to one side or the
other to see the shelves or racks as you pass them. That effort even makes you vaguely
uncomfortable because it requires you to train your eyes somewhere other than where you're
walking. If it's a familiar environment (say, your favorite supermarket) and the setting feels safe
(wide aisles, no boxes or other obstacles on the floor to trip you up), then maybe you'll turn your
head as you walk and take in the merchandise. In a less familiar setting, you'll see lesssubconsciously, you've got your peripheral vision on the lookout so you don't trip over a box or a
small child. If, as you walk, a display gets your attention, you may stop in your tracks and look upon
it as it was meant to be seen. But most display windows are designed as though every viewer is just
standing there staring into them head-on. Which is almost. never the case. This comes up regarding
outdoor signs, too. If there's a sign hanging parallel to the shop rather than perpendicular so that it
is visible to pedestrians approaching from either side then there is maybe 5 or 10 percent more
chance that customers approach the facade. Displays must Simply be canted to one side, so they
can be more easily seen from an angle.

7.1

Summary of Behavioral Study

Here is the summary of some interesting findings of this study which can help one in designing
better circulation and also overall ambience of a shopping centre:
(Source: Space for Shopping: Planning and Design for Trade and Commerce, A.K Jain)

The transition zone between the outside and inside of the store- that space just inside the
door, where shoppers are adjusting to the interior of the place- is very ineffective space. What
happens once the customers get inside? You can't see it, but, there are busy making
adjustments- simultaneously they are slowing down there pace, adjusting their eyes to the
change in light and scale, and craning their necks to begin taking is all there is to see.
Meanwhile their ears and noses and nerve endings are sorting out the rest of the stimulianalyzing the sounds and smells, judging whether the store is warm or cold. There is lot
going on, on in other words, they are not truly in the store yet. You can see them, but it will
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be a few seconds before there are actually here. Moving too fast, if the sales staff hits them
with a hearty "Can i help you?" the answers going to be "No, thanks." put a pile of flyers or a
stack of shopping baskets just inside the door: shoppers will barely see them, and almost
never pick them up. Move them ten feet in and the flyers and baskets will disappear. it's a law
of nature- shoppers need a landing strip.

65% of males who take jeans into a fitting room will buy them as opposed to 25% of women.
Or 4% of browsers will buy a computer on Saturday at noon, compared to 21% browsers on
the same day at 5 o'clock.

The amount of money spent in a store is positively correlated with the amount of time spent
inside.

The "butt brush" effect- if aisles are too narrow or crowded, and shoppers have to bend over
to reach merchandise, they are exposed to being brushed or touched by other shoppers as
they pass by- this is a definite turn-off to shoppers (especially women), and will reduce the
amount of time spent in the store and thus the total amount of money spent.

Shoppers need the use of their hands to touch, feel, pick up and examine merchandise-if
they are burdened down with coat, several other items that they have pick up, a toddler, etc.,
they will spend less time in the store than if they had a shopping cart, access to a coat check,
strollers, baskets (placed inside the store interior where they could actually be useful to
someone who has already accumulated a few items), etc.

Very often, signs in retail environments contain too many words to be scanned quickly, and
are placed in locations where they will never be noticed-"Putting a sign that requires 12
seconds to read in a place where customers spend 4 seconds is just slightly more effective
than putting in your garage"(Underhill, 2009)

Providing convenient and strategically located seating areas for customers will keep them in
the store longer and thus increase the amount sold.

Adjacencies can be very important in the placement of merchandise in order to maximize

sales for example the salsa should be next to the chips not in the condiments section. The
pasta sauce should be in the pasta section not next to the salsa.

Only 72% of men read price tags on items as compared to 86% of women.

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When a man accompanies a woman for shopping, her time in the store is drastically cut down
(women accompanying other women while shopping spend almost twice as much time in a
store ).

Women generally take pleasure and price in the shopping experience (as opposed to men,
who generally just want to get in and get out unless they are shopping for specific maleoriented items such as power tools, stereos or computers). Accordingly the shopping
environment for women should be relaxing, pleasant, featuring all of the positive layout
factors that will keep them in the store for a longer period of time.

Underhill makes the sobering point that many of us will spend more time being old, than the
time we had been young. It follows then that store layouts and packaging design will have to
change in order to accommodate all ages. This will include larger print on packages (older
eyes have difficulty reading anything less than 12 points type); better lighting in stores (older
eyes at age 50 receives about 25% less light than eyes at age 20 due to discoloration of the
cornea); and sharper color distinction on signs and certain store areas (for example; on stairs
where it is critical that older patrons be able to easily distinguish the rise from run part of the
step and avoid tripping).

Store layout need to be redesigned with larger aisles and ramps to accommodate walkers
and motorized wheelchair.

Merchandise oriented towards kids has got to be placed at eye level for those kids- that is
about 3 feet off the floor. He also makes the point that retailers have got to provide for
parents who are shopping with kids in tow by providing safe distraction and diversion for
those kids, leaving the parents free for few minutes of uninterrupted shopping.

Many stores do not provide opportunities for the shopper to touch and feel the merchandise
and yet this experience can be very influential in making the sale

The senses in the shopping experience play an important role. A prime example he uses here
is the smell of freshly baked bread that greets one upon entering some supermarket which
he can correlate directly with increased spending.

Lines and time spend waiting at the checkout can ruin the entire shopping experience- even
if the overall shopping expedition has been wonderful, the perception that too much time is
being spent in line can ruin the entire experience for many customers, Underhill estimates
that about 2 minutes is a time limit of most people's tolerance.
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7.2

Major Factors

Lee and Johnson (2005) look at the implications of shopping behaviours in retail design. They
recommend five factors that are of utmost importance in the thinking out and design of any retail
space. Three of these factors are under circulation within the shopping mall. They are:-

7.2.1

Transition Zone This is the area where the customers slow down their pace to look at

merchandise on display in the store. It is where they make the change from being outside the store
to being inside. According to Underhill (2009), it is the shoppers landing strip. The size of the store
determines the size of the transition space. A large store, like a shopping mall need not worry much
about this area, display in this area most often than not goes to waste since it is not seen by the
shopper. For a small store however, this space should be kept at minimal. An example of this is the
introduction of a horizontal barrier that also acts as a display area. This slows down the shopper, and
they get to look at the merchandise on display, before deciding where to go within the store.

7.2.2

The Butt-Brush Effect Each customer has personal space, one that when invaded makes

the shopper feel uncomfortable. When one is bumped or jostled, they become irritated and more
often than not leave without purchasing what they came for. Underhill (2009) notes that, irritated
shoppers do not tarry; in fact, they frequently leave before purchasing what they came for. Thus,
enough maneuvering room for customers should be created. This eliminates or reduces the buttbrush effect, making the shoppers more comfortable and thus more likely to make purchases. This is
mostly achieved by the use of wide walkways and aisles.

7.2.3

Chevroning According to Underhill (2009), a store designer should strive to maximize the

customers views of the merchandise on display. He suggests the idea of chevroning, which is
basically tilting the display racks and shelves at an angle, such that they are not in the traditional 90
angle. This ensures that more of what is on the shelf is visible to the shopper at a given time. The
only disadvantage of this mode of display is that it uses up more space. Only at most 80% of what
can be displayed traditionally using the 900 method can be displayed when chevroning is done.

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8. Literature Study
In this chapter I have analyzed the data found in the case study on three different malls ( in
Vancouver, British Columbia) and drawn conclusions for factors that were directly an effect of
circulation pattern design. These malls were; Harbour Mall, Royal Mall and Pacific Center Mall.

8.1

Objective of Study
The main objective of the study is to compare the shopping behavior pattern between three
different enclosed shopping malls in downtown Vancouver by using the comparison study
method.
More specifically, the objectives are:
1. To determine the pedestrian movement pattern in the three enclosed shopping malls
mentioned above.
2. To examine the effect of the floor materials, the spatial characteristics of storefronts, the
mall layouts and store locations on the movement pattern in the Harbour, Royal and Pacific
centre shopping malls.

8.2

Scope and Limitations

The primary focus of the original study was to record the human behavior pattern by tracking
a sample of typical users of the three enclosed shopping malls and to make a co relational
analysis between their behavior pattern and the elements of the environment; to test
whether or not any correlation of sufficient relevance exists. Limitations and scope of the
study were as follows:
1. The study was conducted over an area consisting of only one floor in each shopping mall.
2. Interviewing was not included in the tracking program due to the fact that it was found
difficult, from the pilot study, to obtain enough relevant information by stopping people in
the shopping malls.
3. The study does not include any marketing analysis for enclosed shopping malls.
4.The type of merchandise, the way display is exhibited and store reputation were not taken
into account.

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8.3

Key Findings
Some of the key findings evident in the original survey are as follows:

The softer the floor covering material in the mall, the slower the pedestrians walk.

The greater the storefront length, the more likely that the pedestrians stop and enter,
but the less time they spend at the storefront.

The greater the number of angles of storefront articulation, the more likely that the
pedestrians stop, spend more time at the storefront and enter the store.

Seats at the storefront whether occupied or not do not have any statistically significant
effect on the frequency of stopping, duration of stopping and frequency of entering.

The more number of angles of storefront articulation per foot, the more likely that the
pedestrians decelerate, stop, spend more time at the storefront and enter the store.

The greater the number of changes in route direction, the more likely that the
pedestrians slow down.

Stores at corner location do not have any statistically significant effect on the frequency
of stopping and entering.

The closer the store is located to the mall entrance the more likely that the pedestrians
stop and enter.

Pedestrians prefer walking on soft surfaces rather than hard surfaces.

There is a preference of movement in the mall for the channels which do not provide any
visual breaks.

8.4

Pedestrian movement gravitates towards central area of the mall.

Design Implications
Some design implications derived from the literature study:

Mall layout should be simple with a focal point like a principle court providing a centre
for shopper's attention. It can be used for various promotional activities including
displays, fashion shows, etc. Based broadly on U.S. experience the most successful
layouts have been the simple ones, namely T and L shaped layouts. Parallel malls and
other more complex layouts have generally been unsuccessful (Darlow,1972).
Historically, most of the successful enclosed shopping malls, like Galeria in Milan, were in
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reality covered over streets minus vehicular traffic. Their plan was simple and since it was
the extension of the existing street plan, it gave them visual coherence within the urban
environment. Containing may stores, cafes and other centers of activity, they provide
ample visual variety.

Floor materials for shopping malls should consist of soft surfaces. Pedestrians prefer
walking on soft surfaces rather than hard surfaces, according to the results of the original
study.

Escalators provide a continuous flow of shoppers and reduce congestion in the mall.
Also, where they connect two levels of shopping, they tend to draw the shopper's eye to
the higher level. But they have two serious disadvantages they take up a lot of
valuable space and provide a visual barrier in the long mall. Escalators should be installed
in areas of the mall where they do not produce visual obstructions but they can be easily
accessible to users.

Open type stores in the enclosed shopping malls require new, ingenious approaches on
the part of the designers to focus the shopper's attention on the store.

The design of the malls should strive for an intimate character and subdued atmosphere.
The purpose is to have the shopper's eye attracted to the storefronts. All the visual
excitement and variety should be allocated to the storefront and not the architectural
envelope.

Mall frontages should be highly articulated in order to become more effective in

attracting shoppers.

Stores could be arranged in a sawtooth fashion so that store openings and window
displays would be facing the traffic flow more directly in order to attract the shopper's
eye.

Orientation and finding direction in the mall is difficult for many users. A store directory
prominently and clearly presented should be provided.

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9. Circulation Design for Physically Challenged

There is need to include access for the physically challenged in all public spaces. When inclusion of
people with disability is achieved in any public space, it shows that there is embracing and
celebrating human diversity. Effort should be made to ensure that people with disability find it easy
to use the public spaces that are provided. The main aims of having accessible shopping malls is to
make sure that all the patronage enjoy the services and goods offered in the shopping malls without
discrimination in terms of physical disability, while at the same time the shopping malls make
maximum profits from as many people as possible, including the ones with physical disability.
In a checklist provided by Adaptive Environment Centre and Barrier free Environment for
removal of barriers in public spaces provided in 1995, the following gudelines were
offered.

9.1

Accessible entrance

People with disability should be able to arrive on site, approach the building and enter as freely as
everyone else. At least one route of travel should be safe and accessible for everyone, including
people with disability This route should not be interrupted by stairs, should be stable, firm and slip
resistant and should be at least 1000mm wide.
There should be provided a ramp or lift or alternative accessible entrance. Signs should be provided
at all inaccessible entrances indicating directions to the nearest accessible entrance. Doors at
accessible entrances should have handles at accessible heights (not higher than 1000mm) operable
with closed fists. The doors should also be easily opened without the use of too much force.

9.2

Access to products and services

The layout of a building should be such that it allows people with disabilities to obtain goods and
services without assistance. The rooms and spaces should be wide enough and any furniture and
fixtures should be arranged in such a way that it clears aisles and gives more room inside the spaces.
There should be provided a ramp or lift or alternative accessible entrance.
Clear signage for goods and services should be provided. All controls for use by the public (including
electrical, mechanical, cabinet, gaming and self-service controls) should be located at an accessible

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height. Vertical circulation should be accessible by all in all public levels. If there are stairs,
they should have non-slip surfaces and continuous rails. The elevators should have clearly
visible and audible door opening and closing floor indicators.

9.3

Usability of rest rooms

Restrooms in public spaces should be accessible to people with physical disabilities. There should be
at least one restroom for each sex, or a unisex restroom that are fully accessible. Signs should be
provided at all inaccessible restrooms indicating the direction of the nearest accessible restroom.

9.4

Additional Access

A reasonable percentage of all the public amenities offered should be fully accessible. Drinking
fountains should have accessible heights, the same as public telephones.

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10. Conclusion
After studying the behavior of a shopper in retail environment and drawing conclusions from the
literature studies I have found that although there can be lot of factors influencing the overall
success of a mall, but as an architect, there are a few things that should always be kept in mind while
designing a mall and planning out the circulation for it and also the individual stores. Some of which
are:

The circulation should be designed in accordance with the natural movement of the shopper
rather than guiding the pedestrians through design as shopping centers which tend to do so a
generally found to be less convenient and successful .

The layout of the mall should be simple, easy to understand and comfortable as shoppers who
are confused and uneasy generally spend less

The corridors and common spaces should be designed in a way that the people using it should
be able to notice the stores around it and also their merchandise on display as this invites more
people in the store.

The entry/exit, parking, etc. are places where the concentration of people is high and they can
experience some problems due to crowd. This means that their chances of visiting again reduces.
Hence, these spaces should be properly planned.

Shopping malls are a place where all types of people come in, all age groups, all genders and all
cultures. They should be designed to cater all.

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11. Bibliography

Paco Underhill, 2009. Why We Buy- The Science of Shopping

A.K Jain, 2010. Space for Shopping: Planning and Design for trade and commerce.

James R. DeLisle, Ph.D. 2007. Shopping Center Classifications: Challenges and Opportunities

Planning guide for escalators and moving walks by Schindler electronics

Davies R. 1984. Retail and commercial Planning

Kamau Erastus nDungu, Factors that influence the success of Shopping Malls: A case of
Nairobi.

Ossama Ahmed Elgalali, 1978. Design Factors influencing pedestrian movement patterns in
enclosed Shopping Malls.

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