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Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping [Paperback]

Paco Underhill
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Jun 2 2000
Is there a method to our madness when it comes to shopping? Hailed by the "San Francisco Chronicle" as "a Sherlock Holmes for retailers," author and research company CEO Paco Underhill answers with a definitive "yes" in this witty, eye-opening report on our ever-evolving consumer culture. "Why We Buy" is based on hard data gleaned from thousands of hours of field research -- in shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets across America. With his team of sleuths tracking our every move, from sweater displays at the mall to the beverage cooler at the drugstore, Paco Underhill lays bare the struggle among merchants, marketers, and increasingly knowledgeable consumers for control.

In his quest to discover what makes the contemporary consumer tick, Underhill explains the shopping phenomena that often go unnoticed by retailers and shoppers alike, including:

  • How a well-placed shopping basket can turn a small purchase into a significant sale

  • What the "butt-brush factor" is and how it can make sales plummet

  • How working women have altered the way supermarkets are designed

  • How the "boomerang effect" makes product placement ever more challenging

  • What kinds of signage and packaging turn browsers into buyers

    For those in retailing and marketing, "Why We Buy" is a remarkably fresh guide, offering creative and insightful tips on how to adapt to the changing customer. For the general public, "Why We Buy" is a funny and sometimes disconcerting look at our favorite pastime.


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    Product Description

    From Amazon

    In an effort to determine why people buy, Paco Underhill and his detailed-oriented band of retail researchers have camped out in stores over the course of 20 years, dedicating their lives to the "science of shopping." Armed with an array of video equipment, store maps, and customer-profile sheets, Underhill and his consulting firm, Envirosell, have observed over 900 aspects of interaction between shopper and store. They've discovered that men who take jeans into fitting rooms are more likely to buy than females (65 percent vs. 25 percent). They've learned how the "butt-brush factor" (bumped from behind, shoppers become irritated and move elsewhere) makes women avoid narrow aisles. They've quantified the importance of shopping baskets; contact between employees and shoppers; the "transition zone" (the area just inside the store's entrance); and "circulation patterns" (how shoppers move throughout a store). And they've explored the relationship between a customer's amenability and profitability, learning how good stores capitalize on a shopper's unspoken inclinations and desires.

    Underhill, whose clients include McDonald's, Starbucks, Estée Lauder, and Blockbuster, stocks Why We Buy with a wealth of retail insights, showing how men are beginning to shop like women, and how women have changed the way supermarkets are laid out. He also looks to the future, projecting massive retail opportunities with an aging baby-boom population and predicting how online retailing will affect shopping malls. This lighthearted look at shopping is highly recommended to anyone who buys or sells. --Rob McDonald --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

    From Publishers Weekly

    Underhill, once a budding academic who worked on a William H. Whyte project analyzing how people use public spaces, adapted anthropological techniques to the world of retail and forged an innovative career with the consulting firm Envirosell. Since brand names and traditional advertising don't necessarily translate into sales, Underhill argues that retail design based on his company's closeAvery closeAobservation of shoppers and stores holds the key. His anecdotes contain illuminating detail. For example, since bookstore shoppers like to browse, baskets should be scattered throughout the store to make it easier for customers to carry their purchases. In clothing stores, fitting rooms are best placed closer to the men's department, because men choose based on fit, while women consider more variables. And he sprinkles in other smart suggestions: drugstores could boast a consolidated "men's health" department; computer stores, to attract women, should emphasize convenience and versatility, not size and speed; and clerks at luxury hotels should use hand-held computers to check in travelers from lobby chairs. Underhill remains skeptical about cyberspace retail, believing that Web sites can't offer the sensory stimuli, immediate gratification or social interaction available in brick-and-mortar stores. While the book does little to analyze the international, regional or ethnic dimensions of the subject, it should aid those in business while intriguing urban anthropologists, amateur and professional.
    Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

    Inside This Book (Learn More)
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    Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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    Customer Reviews

    Most helpful customer reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Flash of the obvious Feb 4 2008
    Format:Paperback
    An awesome new business book I read was Why we Buy - The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill. This one is a business book primarily of interest to retailers (although I see similarities in retail and online habits). Paco (and his researchers) followed and recorded the behavior of tens of thousands of shoppers. From this he is able to run a consulting business that makes recommendations to retailers on minor changes they can make to increase their sales.

    Examples include - Provide a spot for people to sit, especially the person who brought the shopper. Leave parking spots for people at fast food places since 10% of the customers buy then go eat in their car. Children and old ladies are the primary buyers of doggie treats - put them where they can seen and reached.

    He gives many examples of simple changes that can be made to increase sales.

    As with all brilliance, many of his observations are obvious.

    This book is a must read for any retailer.
    Was this review helpful to you?
    1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
    1.0 out of 5 stars 255 page advertisement for the author Sep 8 1999
    By A Customer
    Format:Hardcover
    While Underhill has some good insights, these nuggets are buried beneath the author's self-promotional advertising--repeatedly telling us how his is the "only company doing this kind of research" and congratulating himself on his well-done job. Why would I pay for HIS advertising?
    Was this review helpful to you?
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book but last min delivery Dec 29 2011
    By Tim
    Format:Hardcover
    I find the book to be very amazing. Its definitely a recommended book for any product marketers and sellers. The book arrived in good condition besides the fact that it arrived at the very last day of the delivery date. Its kind of makes one anxious wondering when will they get a chance to finally read the book and even start thinking of messaging the publisher. I hope they can quicken future deliveries...
    Was this review helpful to you?
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    Most recent customer reviews
    3.0 out of 5 stars it was ok
    i read the book because of the title, i'm kind of interested in how we tick, and though i don't think a book would be able to answer this question, attempts amuse me. however. Read more
    Published on Jun 3 2008 by elfdart
    4.0 out of 5 stars What is shopping?
    My fourth year retailing prof at Brock told me to pick up this book. I finally did, and it was a fairly good read. Read more
    Published on Sep 6 2006 by J. Petruszkiewicz
    3.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes the obvious isn't so apparent
    I finally picked this one up after about a year of "meaning to buy it." I'm glad I did. It's a lighthearted and fun book that will make you analyze every store you set... Read more
    Published on July 13 2004 by J. Blackman
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Lady Doth Protest Too Much
    It is interesting to note people's reactions to this book. I'm reminded of the adage about the stages of acceptance of an idea. Read more
    Published on May 19 2004
    5.0 out of 5 stars They Know What You are Doing
    There are very few books that I read over and over, but 'Why We Buy' has earned a spot in my top ten all time favorites. Read more
    Published on April 12 2004 by Robert L. Stinnett
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Retail Sales Bible
    This is a must have for anyone who not only works in retail, but has an interest in sociology. Envirosell took hours of their research and put it in a straight-forward, very... Read more
    Published on Feb 18 2004 by Tacitblue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Everything it says it is
    All about shopping behavior. There are tons of insights to be gained for anyone in retail, esp store planning and merchandising. Read more
    Published on Dec 29 2003 by "servantbrand"
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book for anyone who sells or buys something...
    I am not in retailing business but I still found this book very interesting and I got so many great ideas how to improve some of my favorite stores. Read more
    Published on Aug 19 2003 by Topi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Research-Based Insights
    Two kinds of people will really like this book. You'll like this book if you're responsible for the merchandising in a retail store anywhere. Read more
    Published on Aug 1 2003 by Walter H. Bock
    4.0 out of 5 stars A look at how (badly) many retailing decisions are made
    This book was an interesting peek inside how many decisions about shopping are made, and how the author changed that business in profound yet amazingly common sense ways, simply by... Read more
    Published on July 31 2003 by Jules
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