city culture assignment 2
With the development of APM, the land use and the mode of consumption of Kwun Tong has been changed. When we walk along APM, we found that APM is prominent and seems not “match” Kwun Tong because generally speaking, Kwun Tong is an old district and crowd of people: hawkers locate everywhere and elderly like to go to parks and gossip with their friends. Besides, there are many industries locate near Kwun Tong MTR station. Most of them are very old and the painting was peeling off with large area from the walls. When we went to Kwun Tong, there was never a space could keep us for a longer time, we would just went to different small shops on the street, or hang in the flea market-like place to look for those relatively cheaper accessories.
On the other hand, from the APM website, it shows that APM emphasizes itself as the special vision for the future of Hong Kong since APM seems breaking down the traditional mode of shopping mall: the combination of shopping, commercial activities and omni lifestyle. APM wants to give shoppers surprise, entertainment through the design and the activities they hold. In other words, the existence of APM has changed the consumer behavior such as duration of consumption, frequency of consumption through their construction, allocation and the promotion.
Since we find that APM is different from its surrounding, we are going to investigate how APM affects Kwun Tong citizen and its importance. Besides, we will analyze the construction of APM so as to know the changes of consumer culture through their slogan, architecture, facilities and activities they hold. Since we want to know the frequency, duration, routines of the customers using APM through the interview and observation, we have been to APM about 3 times: Feb 15 10:00 am, Feb 25 16:00 pm and Mar 10 21:00 pm. besides, we will find the resources through various ways such as interview people who are working or living in Kwun Tong, searching APM, Hong Kong government website.
I went to APM more than Kung, but we have similar feeling about APM.
Kung hasn’t been to Kwun Tong for more than three years already. In the past, she would hang out with friends to Kwun Tong and look for those cheap and tasty restaurants. Besides, she would like to buy accessories in Kwun Tong because it is cheaper and more choices.
“In recent years, a new shopping mall APM which see ‘play more, sleep less’ as their slogan has been built in Kwun Tong. I heard form people who have been to there say different opinions about APM. Some thought the new shopping mall provided a new place for them to gather while some said the mall was just so similar with other shopping malls in Hong Kong.”
“After I went out of the gate, I had no idea about where I was in. Just till I saw the postal office, I found that was the exit that I used to get off from the MTR. APM confused me; it made Kwun Tong a new image. Around the mall, those low-rise industrial blocks were still there and painting is still peeling off. However, they could not attract my first sign already; I could only see the skyrocket, APM, in my eye sign. I lost my direction in the place that I familiarized with.”
APM is not as big as Festival Walk or Ocean Terminal, but that was already quite spacious. We went to have a look at different floor, and we stop in a book store, start reading books. Compare with the past, there was no place in Kwun Tong could keep me for a longer time. One reason would be, there was just too crowded that people have to move or it would jam the road. The other reason was, the environment of the small shops were not comfortable for me to stay. There was a small book shop selling and lending second-hand books next to the park in a backstreet. The situation was not good as there was a restaurant next to the shop which was so noisy. If that was summer at that time, I don’t think I would stand there to read book without air-conditioning system.”
“Fewer people would like to go shopping in the small shops after APM is opened. Though stuff is cheaper in the small shops, APM has more choice and people can buy what they want easier.” One of the shop owners said.
In the past, Kwun Tong did not have large shopping mall like Festival Walk or New Town Plaza. Those places for shopping were small arcades and mainly rented by restaurants or just occupied by small shops with no branch stores. When people went shopping, they might need to go to many shops to buy all the stuffs. If they wanted to buy brand name products, they even could not find a shop to consume. In this sense, the type of consumption was in a slow flow. People may need to go out from Kwun Tong to Causeway Bay or Mongkok to buy what they need, especially for those brand name products. (Kwun Tong did not have chain stores, for instance, i.t., D-mop, Bauhaus. These were the shops that young people like to visit the most.) On the other hand, consumers could bargain in those small shops in Kwun Tong, it also slowed down the process of consumptions.
When APM opened, it has changed consumers’ buying processes, at the same time, it slowed down the practice of hanging around. Unlike other shopping centers, APM did not divide the shops into different levels. In other words, we can see restaurants, jewelry shops, bakery, and ladies sections in the same level. It seems hybrid, but this is one of the themes in APM which is not restricted by the shop allocation. In addition, APM sells various products, from personal care to electronic, fashion, and so on; it even provides places for entrainments (book stores, cinema, cafes, etc.) Once we walk into the mall, we could stay for a very long time without expose ourselves under the sun or bad climate. People just like us could stay in the book store for an afternoon.
We felt tired after walking about an hour. At first, we wanted to find a restaurant to eat lunch, but suddenly we saw that there are parent room and waiting area which are located in every floor. It is surprising for us because there is a comfortable place for us to take rest. In fact, APM seems change the mode of consumption through spatial setting and the activities they hold. There are numerous of activities hold in every weekend such as music concert, international art journey etc. Besides, there are several facilities which are rarely found in other shopping centers such as online services, TV and LCD monitors which are showing cable TV news so that customers can watch the news everywhere. Besides, there is a T:>> Park outside level 2 and people can take rest there when they feel tired.
On the other hand, there is a Xsite located from 2/F to 6/F. “Xsite means generation X. In other words, it is a place full of excitement for young people. We will even have an open shop front design, so people can see clearly what is going on inside Xsite, even from afar. Special multi-colored replaceable plastic flooring will be used to create fresh looks from time to time. All these will make APM an attractive spot for shoppers.” (APM website, 2005) Xsite is a creative showpiece of contemporary architecture and it complements APM’s unique “Omni-Lifestyle magazine” retail concept. There will also be a gigantic piece of hanging architecture with various light effects on each floor.
“I would like to buy stuff in APM because it is more trendy and suitable to our youngsters. When we are in lunch time, we would go to eat in city super’s food court since the food is more delicious” Sandy said. Sandy is studying in secondary school. we saw her in Starbucks coffee, gossiping with her classmates. She told us that shopping in APM is now becoming her habit and she goes fewer to the nearby shopping mall such as Telford Plaza. “My classmate and I like to go shopping in APM after school. Since we haven’t got enough pocket money, we go for window shopping usually.” APM see youths as target customers through decoration and construction. From the APM slogan “combination of am and pm”, it shows that youngsters as their target.
From the above, it shows that people only go shopping when they want to buy things i the old days. Shopping mall is no longer a place for us to consume goods, but a place for us to appreciate the art work, relaxing and receive information.
With the establishment of APM, it has also changed part of the rhyme of the people in Kwun Tong from consumption perspective. The relaxed environment keep people longer in the mall, thus people could walk slower than shops on the streets. However, the buying process would be much faster while compare with the small shops as there is no relationship between the salespersons and the customers. Once we paid for the product, the connection ended. The salespersons would not expect us to go back again. Conversely, salespersons in small shops would like the customers to consume more times at their shops, so they would chat with the customers and to maintain a good relationship. So the buying process could be very slow.
On the other hand, from the APM website, it shows that APM emphasizes itself as the special vision for the future of Hong Kong since APM seems breaking down the traditional mode of shopping mall: the combination of shopping, commercial activities and omni lifestyle. APM wants to give shoppers surprise, entertainment through the design and the activities they hold. In other words, the existence of APM has changed the consumer behavior such as duration of consumption, frequency of consumption through their construction, allocation and the promotion.
Since we find that APM is different from its surrounding, we are going to investigate how APM affects Kwun Tong citizen and its importance. Besides, we will analyze the construction of APM so as to know the changes of consumer culture through their slogan, architecture, facilities and activities they hold. Since we want to know the frequency, duration, routines of the customers using APM through the interview and observation, we have been to APM about 3 times: Feb 15 10:00 am, Feb 25 16:00 pm and Mar 10 21:00 pm. besides, we will find the resources through various ways such as interview people who are working or living in Kwun Tong, searching APM, Hong Kong government website.
I went to APM more than Kung, but we have similar feeling about APM.
Kung hasn’t been to Kwun Tong for more than three years already. In the past, she would hang out with friends to Kwun Tong and look for those cheap and tasty restaurants. Besides, she would like to buy accessories in Kwun Tong because it is cheaper and more choices.
“In recent years, a new shopping mall APM which see ‘play more, sleep less’ as their slogan has been built in Kwun Tong. I heard form people who have been to there say different opinions about APM. Some thought the new shopping mall provided a new place for them to gather while some said the mall was just so similar with other shopping malls in Hong Kong.”
“After I went out of the gate, I had no idea about where I was in. Just till I saw the postal office, I found that was the exit that I used to get off from the MTR. APM confused me; it made Kwun Tong a new image. Around the mall, those low-rise industrial blocks were still there and painting is still peeling off. However, they could not attract my first sign already; I could only see the skyrocket, APM, in my eye sign. I lost my direction in the place that I familiarized with.”
APM is not as big as Festival Walk or Ocean Terminal, but that was already quite spacious. We went to have a look at different floor, and we stop in a book store, start reading books. Compare with the past, there was no place in Kwun Tong could keep me for a longer time. One reason would be, there was just too crowded that people have to move or it would jam the road. The other reason was, the environment of the small shops were not comfortable for me to stay. There was a small book shop selling and lending second-hand books next to the park in a backstreet. The situation was not good as there was a restaurant next to the shop which was so noisy. If that was summer at that time, I don’t think I would stand there to read book without air-conditioning system.”
“Fewer people would like to go shopping in the small shops after APM is opened. Though stuff is cheaper in the small shops, APM has more choice and people can buy what they want easier.” One of the shop owners said.
In the past, Kwun Tong did not have large shopping mall like Festival Walk or New Town Plaza. Those places for shopping were small arcades and mainly rented by restaurants or just occupied by small shops with no branch stores. When people went shopping, they might need to go to many shops to buy all the stuffs. If they wanted to buy brand name products, they even could not find a shop to consume. In this sense, the type of consumption was in a slow flow. People may need to go out from Kwun Tong to Causeway Bay or Mongkok to buy what they need, especially for those brand name products. (Kwun Tong did not have chain stores, for instance, i.t., D-mop, Bauhaus. These were the shops that young people like to visit the most.) On the other hand, consumers could bargain in those small shops in Kwun Tong, it also slowed down the process of consumptions.
When APM opened, it has changed consumers’ buying processes, at the same time, it slowed down the practice of hanging around. Unlike other shopping centers, APM did not divide the shops into different levels. In other words, we can see restaurants, jewelry shops, bakery, and ladies sections in the same level. It seems hybrid, but this is one of the themes in APM which is not restricted by the shop allocation. In addition, APM sells various products, from personal care to electronic, fashion, and so on; it even provides places for entrainments (book stores, cinema, cafes, etc.) Once we walk into the mall, we could stay for a very long time without expose ourselves under the sun or bad climate. People just like us could stay in the book store for an afternoon.
We felt tired after walking about an hour. At first, we wanted to find a restaurant to eat lunch, but suddenly we saw that there are parent room and waiting area which are located in every floor. It is surprising for us because there is a comfortable place for us to take rest. In fact, APM seems change the mode of consumption through spatial setting and the activities they hold. There are numerous of activities hold in every weekend such as music concert, international art journey etc. Besides, there are several facilities which are rarely found in other shopping centers such as online services, TV and LCD monitors which are showing cable TV news so that customers can watch the news everywhere. Besides, there is a T:>> Park outside level 2 and people can take rest there when they feel tired.
On the other hand, there is a Xsite located from 2/F to 6/F. “Xsite means generation X. In other words, it is a place full of excitement for young people. We will even have an open shop front design, so people can see clearly what is going on inside Xsite, even from afar. Special multi-colored replaceable plastic flooring will be used to create fresh looks from time to time. All these will make APM an attractive spot for shoppers.” (APM website, 2005) Xsite is a creative showpiece of contemporary architecture and it complements APM’s unique “Omni-Lifestyle magazine” retail concept. There will also be a gigantic piece of hanging architecture with various light effects on each floor.
“I would like to buy stuff in APM because it is more trendy and suitable to our youngsters. When we are in lunch time, we would go to eat in city super’s food court since the food is more delicious” Sandy said. Sandy is studying in secondary school. we saw her in Starbucks coffee, gossiping with her classmates. She told us that shopping in APM is now becoming her habit and she goes fewer to the nearby shopping mall such as Telford Plaza. “My classmate and I like to go shopping in APM after school. Since we haven’t got enough pocket money, we go for window shopping usually.” APM see youths as target customers through decoration and construction. From the APM slogan “combination of am and pm”, it shows that youngsters as their target.
From the above, it shows that people only go shopping when they want to buy things i the old days. Shopping mall is no longer a place for us to consume goods, but a place for us to appreciate the art work, relaxing and receive information.
With the establishment of APM, it has also changed part of the rhyme of the people in Kwun Tong from consumption perspective. The relaxed environment keep people longer in the mall, thus people could walk slower than shops on the streets. However, the buying process would be much faster while compare with the small shops as there is no relationship between the salespersons and the customers. Once we paid for the product, the connection ended. The salespersons would not expect us to go back again. Conversely, salespersons in small shops would like the customers to consume more times at their shops, so they would chat with the customers and to maintain a good relationship. So the buying process could be very slow.
posted by gracepot1125 @ 7:38 AM
1 Comments:
It's good that you already touch upon part of the new experience about APM. Try to focus on different "habits" of the shoppers of APM. And illustrate how APM is connected with their daily routine. The story about the secondary school student is good not not in-depth enough. You may conduct an indepth interview with her to show HOW and WHEN she got used to wandering around in AMP.
Then you may move on to analyze the advertisement to see if it's totally consistent with the shoppers' experiences.
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