QUEENSWAY
shopping centre
Challenges Faced
Gaining shop owners’ consent for recorded interviews
Several shop owners were shy and not receptive when we approached them for an interview. Our request to video the interviews were mostly turned down as they were uncomfortable being in front of the camera. Instead, we seek their consent to voice record their interviews which many agreed to. All in all, given that many tenants were not comfortable being filmed but were willing to share with us their stories.. In fact, some tenants were actually very friendly and approachable!
Several shop owners were shy and not receptive when we approached them for an interview. Our request to video the interviews were mostly turned down as they were uncomfortable being in front of the camera. Instead, we seek their consent to voice record their interviews which many agreed to. All in all, given that many tenants were not comfortable being filmed but were willing to share with us their stories.. In fact, some tenants were actually very friendly and approachable!
Approaching consumers amidst their patronage of the mall
Not many customers were keen on talking to us as they were either busy with their shopping or having meals. It was also difficult to communicate with the elderly as due to a language barrier, and we were often quickly dismissed before we got to ask questions. Hence, it was quite difficult to convince the shoppers to spare a few minutes time to answer our interview questions. In addition, the smaller crowd on weekdays made it more difficult for our team members to find suitable shoppers to interview.
Getting shop owners to feel comfortable and give more open ended responses
Several tenants felt shy in front of the camera, or knowing that their voice is being recorded, and therefore gave rather short and vague answers. We had to consciously find out a topic in which they have more to share and also share our views in other to build trust and get the interview flowing.
Keeping to structured interview schedule
A few shop owners got caught up in talking about their businesses’ successes or complaining about the uncertainty of their shop’s futures, elaborating on topics that were not relevant to our research. We had to find a way to politely get them back on track without sounding uninterested in what they had to say or seeming to cut them off.
Large variety of shops
There are many types of shopping selling different items, ranging from sports apparel, optical wear to award plaques and musical instruments, so we had to be selective in choosing which shops to interview. Furthermore, some shops are run by the owners themselves and some shops hired employees. Therefore, it was hard for us to find a representative mix of shops that covered the shopping centre’s identity.
Complicated shopping mall layout
With the rather complicated shopping centre layout, it was definitely more difficult to find the shops we had intended to interview. In order to get the full experience and gain a more in-depth understanding about the shopping centre, it would definitely take not just a few hours but a few days! However, with that said, it was fun to look around and talk to the tenant and shoppers - something that we would not have done on our own. In fact, we felt like little kids hunting for our treasure amidst the crowd.