Empty space

Less is more? Space is a luxury?
Actually it may take some of the stress out of choosing which one to have.
Which one out of 10 is easier to decide than 1 out of 150.

Halifax bank in Guildford is like a mausoleum and many's the time I've complained about the vast tracts of unoccupied floor space, 8 empty interview rooms and 1 lone customer service assistant.
There's as much empty space as the square footage of a typical family home.

Our Sainsburys is like that. There is a huge open space as you walk in. My DH reckons they must use it as a ball room after closing.

I dislike shops where all the merchandise is crammed in. If there’s no space for me to examine things, I leave.

I much prefer a crammed shop...it's just crying out to be explored. If I entered a half-empty shop, I would think they were closing down. It would also make me feel conspicuous and I would feel obliged to buy something even if I had only called in to browse.

I like space.

Space, the final frontier

I think the empty space when entering a supermarket is there to allow people to enter and exit easily.

I am another who hates crowded shops - if everything is crammed in I begin to feel slightly claustrophobic. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for someone in a wheelchair or with a pram.

What on earth is the objection of things being displayed with space around them?
Look at galleries and museums- they display their treasures with thought for the effect.
Do you want a return to overstuffed Victorian decor, shops so crammed full you couldn’t see what you were looking for?

Perhaps the use of space in the expensive shops says something about the sense of style they reflect.

The more shop space = the higher the price?.

gillybob

I used to teach marketing and when talking about advertising I always spoke about the white space rule, the more of it in an advertisement the greater the chance of it being read and any message being received by the target audience.

I think empty space is to enable wheelchair and mobility scooters to manoeuvre safely.

In my childhood very expensive shops - the kind we only looked at - only ever had a very few items in their windows and plenty of empty space between items inside.

The opposite end of the scale was Woolworth's where you couldn't see the shelves or counters for merchandise. Or the Barras (street market in Glasgow on Saturdays and Sundays)

Our new Sainsburys opened laty year,it is a huge space when entering, the aisles are lovely and wdse and there is a great assortment but there doesnt ever seem to be anyone there shoping, and nobody to ask, its quite eerie, but the shopping and check out is done quickly.

Being brought up one of six kids...and a grannie...in a 3 bedroom house...space means everything to me. I knew I was a minimalist from age 12...much to annoyance if my husband who is a clutterer-up of space...he can’t abide an empty wall...surface...table-top...floor ...sideboard...In his mind everything needs to be covered over. I walk away from a cleared coffee table , and 10 mins later he’s covered it with ‘stuff’. It’s a wonder we’re still together ...I loathe clutter!

It's interesting that there have been different reactions to this. Obviously shop-keepers want to lure shoppers inside and persuade them to spend money. It's not quite as simple as putting things on the shelves and hoping they will appeal to customers. You have to use psychology. I wonder how much our preference reflects our personalities. Some prefer a shop bursting with merchandise...others prefer a select few items on display. Perhaps cluttered means cheap....scarcity means expensive?

If you like things crowded I recommend Snowshill Manor in the Cotswolds.
It was the home of avid collector Charles Wade and every room is stuffed with everything you can think of. Each room does have a theme but there's so much there that you'd need a week to see it all.
He moved out to a little hovel in the yard but soon filled that as well. Facinating.
Lovely gardens too.

I've also seen the Armarni exhibition at the Guggenheim in Bilbao and that was the total opposite. One exquisite dress per room, displayed in darkness inside a glass case and lit so it sparkled.

HannahLoisLuke , that Armani exhibition sounds wonderful. I would love to aspire to have my home like that, but, I have too many things that I love, and want to see them around me. (I'm not as bad as Charles Wade, yet).

RosieLeah, yes it's interesting how we are all different, but isn't that wonderful?i

Food hall in M&S. Have you ever tried to manoeuvre a wheelchair with a trolley attached around one of these. When I volunteered with WVS it was a nightmare. I had quite a large lady who enjoyed doing her shopping in M&S. I was exhausted on the days I took her around for her shopping. Thank goodness for shops with space to move around with prams and wheelchairs.

I really like going into uncluttered shops. It makes it so much easier to really look at the merchandise.

I remember taking my sister shopping in a wheelchair and it was a nightmare steering her round the clothes racks in many shops.

I can't stand a cluttered shop. Hate Sports Direct. DH loves it, but I have to get out after about 5 mins.

I went into a Sports Direct once, turned tail and walked out again. Awful place.

This has reminded me of Victoria Beckham's 'shop' in London. I assume it's London. I think you have to ring a bell in a certain way and then do the necessary handshake before they allow you in.

Dreadful place. Dark with a couple of dresses and some shoes and a bag.

I prefer room to be able to move around. M&S food halls always tend to be far too small.

But little knick knack shops selling unusual merchandise can be as crammed as they like.

Just depends what I'm buying I suppose.

I can't stand TK-Max !