Sleeping Tiger

Retail Analysis: Sleeping Tiger

I observed the store Sleeping Tiger, located in the Crossroads Mall. I'm not entirely sure who they market to. When I heard about the store, I imagined it was generally for anyone. After staying there for a bit, it seemed to target age ranges from about 12-28. It's very "spiritual" and I'm guessing trying to relate to the modern "hippy/drug-user" crowd.
Walking by, it's hard to see what store it is only because it's at a weird angle in the mall. At the door a display of tie-dye and jeweled bags, that appeared handmade, I imagine were meant to entice. (They just weren't really my style, I guess...!) As you enter, the strong, earthy scent of incense is almost overwhelming. You don't actually see the copious amount of sticks because you're naturally drawn to the right side of a store. The right side is a variety of different Buddha statues and whimsically shaped mirrors and wind-chimes. Throughout the store, all of their spiritual statues and sculptures are displayed on many shelves and tables, which allow customers to feel the various textures and materials. And many textures and materials there were. There was glass, plastic (rarely), wood carving, stone, wax, and other assorted materials. On the ceiling there were alcohol affiliated signs, wind-chimes, dragon and flower figures also hanging from the ceiling. The lights were very dim and went well with the general autumn color scheme. The music was generally popular alternative rock music, played very quietly. The floor was crushed stone and speckled rock tiles, in a creamy tan. The tiles near the cashier's pentagon were smaller. The cash register was on top of a display case of knives that matched the sword display behind the cashier.
The whole place had an air of casualness and; which could either come across as sloppy and unprofessional, or anti-corporate and low-key. A customer mentioned that she thought it was supposed to be the "happy hippy store," but in fact it was the "scary, witchcraft store." I think the store was trying to portray an earthy, spiritual, modern-Rastafarian appeal. The earthy quality comes from the essential oils and incense, as well as the handmade knickknacks. It's spiritual in the sense that it contains a lot of mythical and religious figurines. They have faeries and Chinese symbols reflecting Happiness, Peace, Prosperity, and Love. The modern-Rastafarian element is portrayed through the range of marijuana paraphernalia and Jamaican flags (not that this actually represents true Rastafarianism...). The cashier was wearing sweat pants and a button-up shirt, which went along with the feel of the store. No fuss. His conversation with a customer about how he is trying to avoid hanging out with underage girls at parties wasn't all that surprising if the aspect of professionalism is considered.
The customers were varied in age and style. There was a preteen girl looking at the butterflies mirrors and pseudo-hipster teens loving the randomness and later a middle aged father walking around with his 5-year-old daughter... One thing was certain: everything had to be touched. Like I mentioned before, there were so many textures. Also a massive selection of incense- ten for $1- and everyone had to stop and smell. I guess I never made it to the back of the store, but there wasn't that much stuff there anyway. Lastly, the cashier and one sales associate never asked the customers anything nor offered assistance.
I found the overall "chillness" of the store interesting. It really felt like it didn't belong in a big mall like that. The lack of professionalism kind of made the small store seem sketchy and there weren't really that many customers the whole time I observed. Everything was pretty overpriced and I find it interesting that it is still in business.