OBSERVATION DAY
The subject (May Wong) is Soek Khern’s distant relative. She is married and currently lives alone with her husband for almost two years. She was aware that she was being observed however the observation was to be treated like a normal weekend activity with her family and she had no clue of the brand the team was studying.
Sunday, 27th January 2013
The observation study started at 10am at May’s home. As I reached, May’s helper was already there doing her routine Sunday chores. The helper comes every Sunday to clean up the house. May’s husband was not at home as he was out for a sun-tanning session. May’s parents were also there to have some coffee.
After some chit-chatting with her parents and indulgence in a Hong Kong drama, they left and May started to prepare some home-cooked lunch, which she usually does during weekends (mostly Sundays), for her husband and I. After May’s husband, Dennis, came home at about 11.30am, we had the simple lunch prepared by May.
At about 12.15pm after cleaning up, May went to get dressed before heading out. I felt that she put in quite a lot of thought into her “get up/ look of the day “ as that took about another 45 minutes and besides a change of clothes, I noticed that she also accessorized herself with wristlets, watches and necklaces. During the car ride to ION, May and Dennis also made an impromptu decision of catching The Hobbit (2.40pm show) at Shaw Lido after hearing so many good reviews from friends and colleagues. We reached ION Orchard at 1.30pm.
I observed that before May came out today, she actually already had in mind what she needed/ wanted to buy and most of them were for the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) as she mentioned. The couple first headed to Uniqlo as Dennis wanted to find a pair of camo pants he saw on someone. May followed him to check out the stock and they were directed to 313 Somerset as the outlet at ION did not have the latest seasons. Before we headed to 313 Somerset, May went to the Zara store and walked straight to the item she has apparently been eyeing (camo pants). She didn’t get it the first time because she wanted “Dennis to take a look at it before she confirms her purchase.” She also mentioned that she had to get it quick (within a week) because she knows the stocks and sizes at Zara run out fast. It also seemed like May is quite familiar with where Zara places their merchandise hence she finds what she wants quickly. The two other items she picked out was a formal black top and a checkered blouse. She tried all three items and only bought the pants and black top. We spent about 20-25 minutes in the store.
After which, we went to the Uniqlo store at 313 Somerset in search of Dennis’ camo pants. Unfortunately, the salesperson was unsure and eventually said they didn’t have stock. Both times at Uniqlo, May did not browse through their products. May suggested going to Zara again, which surprised me. She ended up looking for her checkered blouse and tried it one more time before finally purchasing it. She “needed more time to consider it as it was quite highly priced ($89.90) but the design was too much to her liking for her to give it up.” That took only about 10 minutes. I realized that May is a pretty fast shopper and she hardly needs help from staff in the store but expects them to have good service when needed.
We managed to reach Shaw Lido at 2.40pm sharp to catch the movie. The movie ended at about 5.45pm. Before dinner, we walked around Far East Plaza. May didn’t walk into any store except for one accessory shop that caught her eye. It sold items that most blogshops sell. She looked around but didn’t get anything eventually. By about 6.15-6.20pm, we had our dinner at the famous zi char stall in the same place. May only ate the dishes we ordered to be shared amongst us and didn’t take any rice or hor fun which Dennis and I ordered too. She is quite conscious of her own diet and I could tell that she requested Dennis to help her with it by restricting her. It is probably “quite difficult for (her) due to the immense love (she) has for good food”.
The observation ended at about 7.30pm.
'Chic Office Lady' A banker who looks for design and quality in fashion.
MAY WONG
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW
What motivated you to go shopping today?
I’m going to Zara to buy a pair of pants that I’ve been eyeing and I’ve also yet to complete my shopping for CNY.
How urgent/important is it for you to get the items? Why?
Yes it is very important cos I’ve already tried it on before and I really like it however I was alone at that time and I needed my husband’s opinion. It is urgent because I’m afraid there might not have any stock left for that item.
What brands/shops you considered when getting this item?
No other shops, only Zara.
Why did you list these brands?
I’ve seen the item I wanted on a local fashion blog and went to check it out once I saw it. After trying it on, I never considered other brands for the item because I know it’s relatively difficult to find it elsewhere and I’m confident of Zara’s quality.
How important are these attributes to you?
Zara’s exclusivity is a plus point because not many people will have the same piece of clothing. It is also important that its clothes are fashion-forward and are of good quality. I think dressing well is important to me because it says a lot about a person’s personality and it’s also a kind of fashion statement you’re creating for yourself.
What made you enter the store/mall?
I’ve already had the intention of going to the store before heading out as I knew what I wanted to purchase. At the same time, I could browse at other items I might have missed out previously.
Is this always the case for you?
Not always, Zara is one of those stores that I’ll pop by whether or not I have something to buy (and if I happen to be at Orchard Road).
What did you buy today?
Black formal top, checkered blouse, camo pants from Zara.
Are you happy with your purchase?
Yes, very happy. Finally getting something that I’ve always been eyeing is indeed extremely satisfying. It’s like a sense of achievement and it’s a bonus when I get more items than expected.
Why did you not purchase the items?
N.A
