Various Stores in New Haven, CT

1. A Crash Course on Creativity
Assignment 2: Paying Attention
New Haven, CT
Chi Min Seow
10/30/2012

2. Nica’s Market
Before
you
enter
the
store
Nica’s
Market
always
has
some
outstanding
storefront
decorations.
Right
now,
in
response
to
the
fall
season,
there
are
many
pumpkins
of
various
sizes
on
display.
The
store
sign,
which
can
be
seen
in
the
picture,
is
large
enough
and
it
sprawls
across
the
store
horizontally.
The
transparent
glasses
are
always
clean
and
people
can
always
see
how
fresh
their
produce
is
when
walking
past.
Environment
As
soon
as
I
entered
the
door,
the
bell
emitted
a
familiar
ring,
and
I
can
immediately
smell
the
fresh
flowers
right
behind
the
front
door.
The
indoor
environment
gives
customers
a
sense
of
coziness
with
brown
colored
floor
and
compact
rack
arrangements
filled
with
various
goods.
Personnel
For
its
small
size,
Nica’s
market
hires
a
lot
of
personnel.
All
of
them
are
usually
very
helpful.
I
am
usually
greeted
with
smiles
when
I
walk
in.
They
make
you
feel
very
special
and
will
go
the
extra
mile
to
answer
your
questions.

3. Products
There
is
a
hot
food
section
behind
the
store
that
makes
food
from
scratch.
They
also
serve
made-­‐to-­‐order
sandwiches
as
well.
Other
than
that,
the
products
displayed
at
the
racks
are
well
organized
and
dust-­‐free.
Quality,
sturdy
racks
are
used
in
the
store.
The
fruits
and
vegetables
for
sale
are
of
superior
quality
and
well
presented.
Customers
Customers
who
frequent
this
store
are
normally
college
students
looking
to
grab
a
quick
bite
or
supplement
their
groceries.
Due
to
the
small
walking
lanes,
customers
have
to
make
way
for
each
very
often.
The
outdoor
seating
area
is
a
welcoming
place
for
customers
to
consume
their
meals
after
purchasing
them
from
the
store.
Other
Observations
The
storeowner
is
someone
who
cares
a
lot
about
his
store.
It
is
a
frequent
sight
to
see
him
arranging
goods
inside
the
store.

4. Orange Street Market
Before
you
enter
the
store
The
Orange
Street
Market
is
centrally
located
in
the
East
Rock
area
in
New
Haven,
CT.
The
storefront
decoration
is
not
bad
either.
Pots
of
plants
and
seating
stables
and
chairs
are
the
usual
sight.
Due
to
the
windy
day,
the
front
door
was
closed
when
I
visited.
The
goods
blocked
majority
of
the
window,
making
it
difficult
to
look
into
the
store.
Environment
The
in-­‐store
environment
is
very
simple.
Decoration
does
not
seem
like
a
high
priority
to
the
storeowners.
The
racks
are
arranged
at
a
slanted
angle
from
the
front
door
in
one
column,
making
it
difficult
to
have
a
good
overview
of
the
products
sold.
The
high
racks
in
the
middle
also
made
the
store
looks
smaller
than
it
actually
is.
Personnel
The
personnel
did
not
pay
a
lot
of
attention
to
the
incoming
customers.
The
whole
place
feels
slightly
unwelcoming
and
cold.
After
walking
around
aimlessly
for
more
than
5
minutes,
no
one
cared
to
offer
any
help.

5. Products
Due
to
its
small
size,
the
product
choices
offered
by
the
store
are
limited.
Besides
some
fresh
product,
meat,
seafood
and
deli,
other
products
are
displayed
in
the
middle
of
the
store.
The
distance
between
racks
in
is
very
small,
making
it
difficult
to
inspect
the
goods
at
the
most
bottom
row
of
the
racks.
Customers
Customers
who
come
here
are
of
various
age
groups.
Compared
to
other
markets
in
the
area,
Orange
Street
Market
is
not
the
most
bustling
market.
Other
Observations

6. Romeo & Cesare’s Gourmet
Before
you
enter
the
store
The
storefront
decoration
is
highly
welcoming.
In
addition
to
the
pumpkin,
the
storeowners
also
put
out
straw
men
to
attract
customers.
The
well-­‐maintained
plants
and
clean
glass
are
good
signs
that
the
store
is
well
run.
Environment
The
in-­‐store
environment
did
not
disappoint.
There
is
a
row
of
fresh
vegetables
immediately
behind
the
front
door.
Inside
the
store,
there
are
four
columns
of
low
racks,
which
enable
customers
to
immediately
see
the
items
they
need
and
walk
towards
them
directly.
Personnel
The
personnel
are
highly
welcoming
and
patient.
They
took
their
time
to
ask
customers
if
there
is
anything
they
could
help
with
and
are
not
pushy
to
make
a
sale.
Food
items
purchased
are
delicately
handled
according
to
customers
needs.
Products
The
store
seems
to
target
Mediterranean
cuisine.
There
is
a
section
specifically
reserved
for
different
types
of
olives
and
another
for
different
cheeses.
The
store

7. does
not
offer
everything
under
the
sun,
but
they
do
have
a
great
variety
of
choices
for
customers.
Customers
Customers
range
from
students
to
family.
There
was
a
family
with
a
relatively
large
group
of
kids
dining
outside
the
store
as
I
walked
out.
Everyone
seemed
to
be
enjoying
the
different
decorations
that
have
been
put
out.
Other
Observations
A
huge
tree
was
uprooted
right
outside
the
store
by
the
strong
wind
last
night.

8. One Stop Mart & Deli
Before
you
enter
the
store
Much
effort
can
be
put
into
the
decoration
of
the
area
in
front
of
the
store.
As
of
now,
there
is
a
table
with
two
benches
and
nothing
more.
Although
it
is
fall
season,
the
massive
accumulation
of
dried
leaves
outside
is
not
a
welcoming
sign.
Environment
The
store
is
split
into
two
halves.
On
one
side
there
is
a
small
kitchen
serving
fresh
Middle
Eastern
cuisine,
on
the
other
side,
there
is
a
small
section
for
groceries.
The
floor
is
covered
with
white
tiles
and
due
to
the
indoor
kitchen,
the
walls
are
slightly
stained
with
grease.
Personnel
This
is
a
family
owned
store;
the
personnel
are
largely
made
of
own
family
members.
When
I
was
there,
I
was
looking
for
Tahini
(sesame
seed
paste)
in
the
store
and
was
having
a
difficult
time
locating
it.
Luckily
for
the
helpful
personnel,
the
issue
was
resolved.
He
was
also
patient
enough
to
introduce
different
brands
of
the
same
product.

9. Products
The
goods
displayed
at
the
groceries
section
are
not
well
arranged
and
most
of
them
are
dusty.
The
freshly
prepared
food
however,
is
made
to
order
and
seems
authentic.
Customers
Customers
are
usually
individuals
or
a
very
small
group
of
people
looking
for
quick
meals.
Other
Observations
There
is
a
huge
empty
space
in
the
middle
of
the
store,
which
could
be
better
used
to
display
goods.

10. Hanmi Oriental Food & Gift Shop
Before
you
enter
the
store
Elaborative
decoration
is
nowhere
to
be
seen
compared
to
other
stores
in
the
area.
One
major
discovery
is
the
cute
store
sign
hanging
right
above
the
door.
Other
than
that,
there
are
two
brightly
lit
signs
written
in
Korean.
Environment
The
store
is
very
clean
and
well
organized.
There
are
three
fully
stocked
columns
of
various
products
appropriately
labeled.
Personnel
The
personnel
are
very
relaxed.
They
only
stepped
in
when
requested.
When
I
first
entered
the
store,
I
couldn’t
see
anyone
inside,
but
after
awhile,
they
came
out
to
greet
me.
Products
Besides
food
products,
they
also
sell
kitchenware
and
other
materials
for
entertainment.
There
is
a
combination
of
perishable
and
non-­‐perishable
goods
but
they
all
are
inclined
towards
Korean
cuisine.

11. Customers
There
wasn’t
anyone
else
inside
the
store
when
I
was
there.
Perhaps
it
was
at
a
low
time
of
the
day
when
I
visited
Other
Observations
The
shop
owners
have
a
dog,
which
is
as
friendly
as
the
owners.

12. State Fish Farm Market
Before
you
enter
the
store
The
first
glance
of
the
store
gives
the
impression
that
it
is
not
very
organized.
Products
can
be
seen
stacked
right
behind
the
clear
glass.
Environment
A
strong
seafood
odor
immediately
caught
the
attention
as
I
entered
the
store.
There
is
a
seafood
section
in
the
store,
which
is
wide
open
to
the
air
circulation
inside
the
store.
The
products
are
all
over
the
place
instead
of
neatly
stacked.
Personnel
The
storeowner
was
wearing
an
earphone
in
one
ear,
giving
an
impression
that
customers
are
usually
not
given
full
attention.
Products
The
products
are
not
the
freshest.
Some
of
them
are
even
near
date
of
expiry.
Customers
Unsurprisingly,
there
was
no
customer
inside
the
store.

13. Other
Observations
For
a
store
situated
at
a
heavily
trafficked
junction
with
a
huge
parking
space
right
in
front
of
the
store,
the
business
of
the
store
could
be
much
better.