Milwaukee Avenue hygiene

Yesterday, marketing expert/author/speaker/etc. Seth Godin posted a piece, More vs. enough, about the application of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory .

There are applications for Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square.

Herzberg’s work, concerning attitudes on the job, shows that there are two factors at work: motivation and hygiene (I know, I know; stick with me). Motivators or what may increase satisfaction are things like
challenging work on the job, or low prices at Milwaukee Avenue stores.
Hygiene factors or what may reduce dissatis-
faction are things like job security in the workplace or the cleanliness of Milwaukee Avenue.

Milwaukee Avenue merchants and property owners must address both satisfaction through prices and products, for example, and the absence of dissatisfaction through, for example, cleanliness and maintenance.

Re-investment and reasonable rents

More with Dulce Ramos

I have more to share of my interview with Dulce Ramos, owner of The Pump Room Boutique, a shoe store located on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square from 2003 to 2007. I lost recording of a part of the interview, so Dulce’s words are interspersed below in my own recap and commentary on some of the things we talked about earlier this month.

Building conditions

In addition to outgrowing the space at the original location of the The Pump Room Boutique at 2727 N. Milwaukee Avenue (see An interview with Dulce Ramos), a pipe had burst in the building, warping and damaging the painted floor that had contributed to the unique feel of the store. The building owner was supposed to pay for repair of the floor, but never did. The floor was never repaired, the painting never restored, the feeling never regained. As bad luck would have it, not even a new location at 2630 N. Milwaukee Avenue cured water problems for the store.

A bad sign (Part II)

Sign of confusion

It appears that the windows below would meet the city’s sign standard requiring 60% transparency on “Pedestrian Streets” (see Sign, sign, everywhere a sign). The business below moved a couple of storefronts down a few years back, and in doing so it overcame its previous problem of a Sign of a lack of urgency. But still I find the clutter of signs unattractive and distracting and therefore detrimental to the success of Milwaukee Avenue as a commercial strip. I don’t even see how the sign clutter is beneficial to the merchant. One of the rules of good signage is legibility. Too many messages distract the potential customer. Keep it simple.

Spring cleaning

Shop your choice

Which store would you rather shop? This one?