The new interior and services at the redesigned Office Max are intended to put a little color in the shopping experience and make business people feel more comfortable parting with their dollars.
A unit in Tuscon, Ariz. will be the first in the company's planned overhaul of all its stores. The layout has been redesigned to make the store easier to shop and a new, more colorful interior using greens, golds, oranges and blues is intended to make it warmer and more welcoming.
Julene Winterton, district manager of Office Max stores in Southern Arizona, told the Arizona Daily Star, "We want to lose the sterile, warehouse feel and give customers a fun shopping atmosphere."
The new store has a number of features including many self-serve functions using kiosks for print and document services, as an example. The new Office Max plans to add refillable ink cartridge kiosk at some point in the future.
The new layout also attempts to simplify the shopping experience. A "technology hub" at the center of the 21,000-square-foot store showcases computers, digital cameras and other electronic tools for businesses and individuals.
The store also features a "mix it wall" where customers can grab everyday office supplies such as pens, pencils, pads and paper clips from plastic bubble-shaped bins.
"It works like penny candy," said Ms. Winterton. "Customers come in and stuff all they want into a box."
The new store also includes an in-store café that offers free WiFi Internet connection. Business people, students and others can come in to check their email, create documents that can be printed out in the store or just drink coffee, hang out and watch the café's flat-screen TVs.
At least one businessperson has bought into the new Office Max. Jami Bova, an interior designer, said, "I love the colors in the store. It's very comfortable, and it's convenient for me to get here. It's a fun place to shop."
Discussion Questions: What do you see as the state of store design and layout today? Is there real innovation taking place or do you see a pervasive "sameness" in many projects? Where does the new Office Max fall on the scale of unique to the same old thing?