Interesting discussion over at Signal vs. Noise about shopping for cloths by color. The specific example is an online experience at the J. Crew website. Evidently there is an option to see sweaters arranged by color groups. What’s interesting is brought out in the comments.

• Brick and mortar selling experience of retail e-commerce sites can hamper usability enhancements to the online shopping experience. “That’s not how we do it in the stores.” People shop differently online then in stores. What’s possible online is different then what’s possible in physical stores.

• Filtering is important. People want to see merchandise by color, size and in stock status. I have been aggravated numerous times when shopping either online or in stores by selecting a product and subsequently discovering that it’s out of stock. (Note to Retailers: I always leave the store empty handed when this happens. I never buy something else instead. Piss off your customer; customer goes away.) Is it so hard for people to put a sign on products that are sold out?

• Simply putting the name of the color on the price tag can help the colorblind population. No one in a store is going to ask a clerk what color something is. Embarrassment is a powerful demotivator. Retailers who make it easy for people with special needs to shop and buy in their stores or websites are winners. Hey, store manager, have you ever driven that scooter around your Target to see what it’s like to shop in it?

People still think it’s OK if their business isn’t accessible because “No one in a wheelchair ever comes in here.” It’s most likely because they can’t or because it’s less of a hassle elsewhere. What if you were the most accessible store in the area? What if you had a special time designated in your grocery store for “Assisted Shopping?” Every Thursday afternoon/evening you’d welcome people with special needs. You’d publicize it and be ready with plenty of trained clerks ready in each aisle of your store ready to assist shoppers in getting products from shelves, answering questions, reading labels, talking to people. What would happen? Would it cost you more? Yes. Would it be above and beyond industry standards? Yes. Would it be profitable? Yes, Absolutely! Word would spread through the target communities like wildfire. If the physical configuration of your customer experience is better than your competition people with disabilities will fill your store or restaurant and your cash register. While it is tragically true that many in the disabled community are living in poverty or near poverty it is also true that many are not. Many disabled people and their families have the same socioeconomic statistics of your target market. Most people enjoy a good meal in a good restaurant. Even people who use wheelchairs use credit cards. But if they can’t get into your bathroom, they’ll use that credit card somewhere else.

Just something to Think about.