Massive Stores? Is this a trend?
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Marcel Flatley
Sampireun Design
Join date: 29 Jul 2007
Posts: 2,032
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03-04-2008 12:11
Well as for me, I do not like too big stores either, and when I come in a big store at least I expect an organised way of setting things up. I dont feel like browsing too much (for me) useless stuff to find what I want. To take Onyx's place as an example: If I want to buy an Indonesian sarong, I can go right to the asian section, instead of having to go through the entire collection (and huge parcel  ). My own shop isnt very big yet but I prepared it for growth. As soon as I grow out of space I just make the building so much bigger, that is doesn't look half empty. And try to find a balance between creating a shopping experience by making my parcel as pretty as possible, and keeping things easy to find. As the collection grows, I will make sections as well, so you know that living room sets are on level 1 for example. That way, even a big shop is easy to navigate Greetings, Marcel |
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Lindal Kidd
Dances With Noobs
Join date: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 8,371
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03-04-2008 12:30
I like big stores. One of the easiest places I ever shopped in was nothing but a huge box, with no roof. Just fly in, hover, cam around. I like luxury stores, although they intimidate me (they do in RL too). Places with beautiful decor, live help, much floor space. Elegant and upscale. I feel rich and decadent when I shop in these places...when I'm not feeling like an underdressed country bumpkin. I like little shops. I like finding undiscovered bargains. The only problem with them is that there are so MANY, and most of them carry poor quality merchandise. If you have a small shop, somehow you must make it stand out from the hordes of freebie and BIAB resellers. I like shopping online, at SL Exchange. It's often faster to search for something there than it is to go bopping about inworld from store to store. Oh, let's face it...I just like shopping, period. 
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HoneyBear Lilliehook
Owner, The Mall at Cherry
Join date: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 4,500
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03-04-2008 12:33
You say that Lindal, like we're supposed to be surprised 
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Maureen Boccaccio
TWJKFA
Join date: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 14,484
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Size does not matter
03-04-2008 12:34
Well, I haven't done an outrageous amount of shopping (yet ), but as others have said, it's not the size of the store, but the layout. I've been in some really nice boutiques that are quite easy to get around. and I've been in some small boutiques that have been hell to navigate. The same can be said of the big box stores. I find I go back to big box stores that have teleporters to get from one section to another. And a request: if you're going to have a big box store, could it please be filled with stuff? (or mayhap you're just not finished putting out your inventory?? or planning to expand??) And good lighting in the store...it is a good thing... That said, to all you designers: Thank you. I am in awe of your talents. |
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Rhaorth Antonelli
Registered User
Join date: 15 Apr 2006
Posts: 7,425
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03-04-2008 12:37
From: Irene LeShelle Someone posted a couple of weeks ago that if you turn on Client->View Admin Options, you can fly even in no-fly zones. I have not tested it, but it's worth trying next time we're in a no-fly store.  may have to try that sometime I rarely pay attention to the little extra (except camera constraint an limit selection hehe
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Darien Caldwell
Registered User
Join date: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 3,127
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03-04-2008 12:43
I have always assumed people build big stores for the anti-lag, fast rez benefits. Having multitudes of textures spread out means fewer are downloaded at a time, basically only what is in your view radius. Also using walls a far enough distance apart can be used to occlude some part of the build further reducing how much you have to download at a time. Faster rezzing means more likely a sale will be made. But maybe thats just my assumption. |
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Gabriele Graves
Always and Forever, FULL
Join date: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 6,205
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03-04-2008 13:15
From: Irene LeShelle Someone posted a couple of weeks ago that if you turn on Client->View Admin Options, you can fly even in no-fly zones. I have not tested it, but it's worth trying next time we're in a no-fly store. The key combination for that is CTRL+ALT+V on a Windows PC - a lot nicer because you can switch it on quickly when you need it and keep it off the rest of the time. It erroneously enables the "Build" button too even over No Build land - not really sure why but there you go.
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Avion Raymaker
Palacio del Emperador!
Join date: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 980
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03-04-2008 14:09
From: Irene LeShelle Someone posted a couple of weeks ago that if you turn on Client->View Admin Options, you can fly even in no-fly zones. I have not tested it, but it's worth trying next time we're in a no-fly store. Even if true, the no-fly thing irritates me so much, I prefer to hand them their Darwin Award and just leave. Also, even if doesn't bother you, and you still want to try them out, consider that if they've got no-fly turned on, they obviously don't want you flying for some reason; maybe it spoils their old-timey look or whatever. |
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Czari Zenovka
I've Had it With "PC"!
Join date: 3 May 2007
Posts: 3,688
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03-05-2008 02:41
From: Michael Bigwig If I TP into a large store, looking for something particular, and I find there isn't a clearly defined way to locate my item...I leave. Simple as that. I leave. I think you and I have the same shopping philosophy. From: Michael Bigwig Also, another thing people should take note of is...DESIGN...omg...omg...I said it. DESIGN. Trust me it matters. I'm getting really tired of seeing a ton of side-by-side articles of clothing...you put all that work into your clothing (some of you), why don't you put some work into your presentation. Did you ever think about making that poster-board product into something interesting other than a prim with a picture on it? Ever thought of making it look 3d via texture work...anything is better than moo-moo poster-board products...rows and rows...boooooring. This is a great idea!! The only thing I can think of I've seen along these lines is how Avilion has their capes on stands to get a better look of them from a 3-D angle.
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Czari Zenovka
I've Had it With "PC"!
Join date: 3 May 2007
Posts: 3,688
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03-05-2008 02:44
From: Lindal Kidd I like shopping online, at SL Exchange. It's often faster to search for something there than it is to go bopping about inworld from store to store. QFT!
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Phil Deakins
Prim Savers = low prims
Join date: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 9,537
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03-05-2008 06:46
As a storeowner, I find this to be an interesting thread. There doesn't see to be a general consensus on store sizes or designs. Some people like to browse and wander through stores, others like to get in, buy what they want quickly, and get out. Some people like stores that they can cam around, and others like to wander around them. Some people like stores that are nicely designed, perhaps themed, and others prefer boxes without the clutter of design and inside walls. Some like them small, and some like them big.
What there does seem to be a consensus on is direction inside larger stores. Plenty of people have posted that they like to be directed to where the type of item they are looking for is, and nobody has said that direction doesn't matter to them. It's interesting. That's what I'm going to take from this thread. Right in front of the landing point in my place is a board that points the way to various item types, and there are a few very large signs up that can be read from a long way away, but maybe I could add one or two more of those. My place is large, but not huge, and not so spread out that it needs TPs, so I'll skip those for now.
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HoneyBear Lilliehook
Owner, The Mall at Cherry
Join date: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 4,500
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03-05-2008 07:19
*makes note to go visit Phil's store soon*
_____________________
Virtual Freebies now has its own domain!
URL=http://virtualfreebiesblog.com
The Mall at Cherry Park - new vendors, new look!
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Storm Thunders
Polyavatarist
Join date: 31 May 2006
Posts: 157
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03-05-2008 07:29
I suspect I'm not the only one who made plans to consolidate small shops into one when the new Search was announced - the crossover in traffic and picks links makes for a better position.
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Whyspe Wylie
Registered User
Join date: 4 Dec 2007
Posts: 108
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03-05-2008 07:30
If the store's well organized, I don't mind it as much, but it's a trend I don't like in Rl or SL. I likes me some cozy . |
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Rhiannon Boronski
PRIMAL ART OWNER
Join date: 3 Feb 2007
Posts: 220
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03-05-2008 07:35
ok, so we have a quite large store, a far cry from the little 30 prim store we started with a year ago. we are in the process of expanding right now and I have been thinking about a tp system. so the question would be at what size do people consider a tp system to be necessary and which tp system would they recommend ? We did originally have large header boards naming sections but they are currently not in place while we re-arrange everything. But I am definitely considering a store map like the ones you get in large department stores. anybody have any other suggestions to make the shopper experience better ?
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Qie Niangao
Coin-operated
Join date: 24 May 2006
Posts: 7,138
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03-05-2008 07:53
From: Bree Giffen ... I think places might eventually become like 'sine wave' or 'freebie island' where there isn't even any attempt to make a large building and landscaping. The entire sim is the store. Yeah, what about these? I think Sine Wave is really quite well designed for what it has on sale. The problem I understand them to be trying to solve with that design is to minimize image downloads, with the hoped-for benefit of expediting animation downloads and lag due to agents bumbling about the sim. And, of course, it's pretty hard to cam-shop for animations: at least the "trying out" part has to be done in-person. And they're so busy that animation vendor devices would be totally beside the point, and probably lagged to uselessness anyway. I just don't know how much this generalizes to other businesses--particularly those that are inherently texture-rich, like clothing. |
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Siobhan Noyes
Registered User
Join date: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 81
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03-05-2008 09:03
From: Phil Deakins As a storeowner, I find this to be an interesting thread. There doesn't see to be a general consensus on store sizes or designs. Some people like to browse and wander through stores, others like to get in, buy what they want quickly, and get out. Some people like stores that they can cam around, and others like to wander around them. Some people like stores that are nicely designed, perhaps themed, and others prefer boxes without the clutter of design and inside walls. Some like them small, and some like them big.
What there does seem to be a consensus on is direction inside larger stores. Plenty of people have posted that they like to be directed to where the type of item they are looking for is, and nobody has said that direction doesn't matter to them. It's interesting. That's what I'm going to take from this thread. Right in front of the landing point in my place is a board that points the way to various item types, and there are a few very large signs up that can be read from a long way away, but maybe I could add one or two more of those. My place is large, but not huge, and not so spread out that it needs TPs, so I'll skip those for now. Phil, I think your store is very well organized and things are quite easy to find. But those large signs seem from a distance are quite useful, esp while waiting for everthing else to rezz in... (and I could use the tp option, but that's only because I am a klutz on ramps and stairs. Even though I did beat you going down the ramp...I think that's just because I had a *running* start.) |
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Bree Giffen
♥♣♦♠ Furrtune Hunter ♠♦♣♥
Join date: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 2,715
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03-05-2008 09:07
Qie, you don't think that removing the building walls, floor, ceiling, store fixtures, plants, roads, rails, lighting, etc, will improve the shopping experience? There are some clothing manufacturers that have aggravatingly laggy big box shops that if not for the fact that they have uber-beautiful stuff I would rather avoid.
I just see continued growth of most of these stores will result in a reduction or removal of the actual store structures and eventually they will resemble 'entire sim' stores where all they have are the product vendors. It's kind of like when you visit a shop website. You expect it to be simple yet allow you to view the products and buy them easily.
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Phil Deakins
Prim Savers = low prims
Join date: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 9,537
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03-05-2008 09:15
From: HoneyBear Lilliehook *makes note to go visit Phil's store soon* Does that mean there will be a report about it soon - oooer :/ |
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Phil Deakins
Prim Savers = low prims
Join date: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 9,537
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03-05-2008 09:16
From: Siobhan Noyes Phil, I think your store is very well organized and things are quite easy to find. But those large signs seem from a distance are quite useful, esp while waiting for everthing else to rezz in...
(and I could use the tp option, but that's only because I am a klutz on ramps and stairs. Even though I did beat you going down the ramp...I think that's just because I had a *running* start.) The only people who beat me up or down the ramp are those who take shortcuts lol I just sent you an IM about the store's Picks, btw. |
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HoneyBear Lilliehook
Owner, The Mall at Cherry
Join date: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 4,500
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03-05-2008 10:41
From: Phil Deakins Does that mean there will be a report about it soon - oooer :/ Report?? Was I supposed to do something I forgot to do??
_____________________
Virtual Freebies now has its own domain!
URL=http://virtualfreebiesblog.com
The Mall at Cherry Park - new vendors, new look!
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Qie Niangao
Coin-operated
Join date: 24 May 2006
Posts: 7,138
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03-05-2008 11:34
From: Bree Giffen Qie, you don't think that removing the building walls, floor, ceiling, store fixtures, plants, roads, rails, lighting, etc, will improve the shopping experience? There are some clothing manufacturers that have aggravatingly laggy big box shops that if not for the fact that they have uber-beautiful stuff I would rather avoid.
I just see continued growth of most of these stores will result in a reduction or removal of the actual store structures and eventually they will resemble 'entire sim' stores where all they have are the product vendors. It's kind of like when you visit a shop website. You expect it to be simple yet allow you to view the products and buy them easily. Yeah, I honestly don't know. Like I said, I'm pretty happy with the textureless void of Sine Wave--it kinda reminds me of how fresh the Google page looked at first and how everybody ended up copying the lotsa whitespace look. But for selling products that are themselves texture-rich, I'm wondering if walls actually serve some purpose by occluding objects and thus preventing unnecessary downloads of their textures--at least for clients with culling turned on. Or maybe that's wishful thinking. |
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Incoherendt Randt
Skank
Join date: 13 Dec 2007
Posts: 85
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03-05-2008 11:47
From: Rhiannon Boronski ok, so we have a quite large store, a far cry from the little 30 prim store we started with a year ago. we are in the process of expanding right now and I have been thinking about a tp system. so the question would be at what size do people consider a tp system to be necessary and which tp system would they recommend ? We did originally have large header boards naming sections but they are currently not in place while we re-arrange everything. But I am definitely considering a store map like the ones you get in large department stores. anybody have any other suggestions to make the shopper experience better ? Oh yeah! Please please pleas please please plan for lag and slow computers and crap networks pleeeeeeease? =) Little things can make all the difference! There's a sim where they have skins and hairs and a few months ago they redid everything with giant sculpty caves and it looked really cool. And there was a really funky signpost with teleports right at the landing spot but that was sculpties too so everybody piled up there staring at big blobs waiting for the shapes to load, and all the people piling up made the sculpts load even slower! So since then they replaced the signs with regular prims and now it's easy to get to the purple hair. Oo and a little notecard dispenser with department landmarks is great too! They are not so wow if the teleport routing is crippled but the beacons are still nice in a gray sim full of ruths! But if it's a HUD doodad you have to wear then it's no fun any more. And little textures on the sit TP signs so they load fast! And with names so they say where they go when the mouse is over them, so every one isn't called teleporter or Object! |
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Ray Musketeer
Registered User
Join date: 22 Oct 2005
Posts: 418
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03-05-2008 12:04
I have had tp's up in fornt of landing points (got 4 or 5 around Fhelzgud) tried several different styles as well. Some use them, others don't. One reason we break things up a bit with park like enviroments is for those who like to browse. Our yard is fairly large and its been a ongoing project discovering how to get people to see different area's. Can't please all all the time, so got to concentrate on what works best for the most and that is always morphing. In another thread we discussed issues noobs have with boxes, tp's can be just as much if not more challenging for some. I have seen the map layout with current location and well designed tP system I liked it but how effective it is not sure. Looks like more work lol, and really appreciate all the input here even if it means anudder pot of java as me grab for eyeglasses I used to never need . |
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Rioko Bamaisin
Unstable Princess
Join date: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 4,668
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03-05-2008 14:01
From: Phil Deakins As a storeowner, I find this to be an interesting thread. There doesn't see to be a general consensus on store sizes or designs. Some people like to browse and wander through stores, others like to get in, buy what they want quickly, and get out. Some people like stores that they can cam around, and others like to wander around them. Some people like stores that are nicely designed, perhaps themed, and others prefer boxes without the clutter of design and inside walls. Some like them small, and some like them big.
What there does seem to be a consensus on is direction inside larger stores. Plenty of people have posted that they like to be directed to where the type of item they are looking for is, and nobody has said that direction doesn't matter to them. It's interesting. That's what I'm going to take from this thread. Right in front of the landing point in my place is a board that points the way to various item types, and there are a few very large signs up that can be read from a long way away, but maybe I could add one or two more of those. My place is large, but not huge, and not so spread out that it needs TPs, so I'll skip those for now. I bought some furniture there the other night. The layout is very good IMO. Plenty of room to move. If you find foot prints on your couches,that's from me.  |
