Why we buy the Science of shopping Paco Underhill (2000 edition)

Paco Underhill
Paco Underhill describes himself as an urban geographer and retail anthropologist. He is the founder of Envirosell, a research and consulting firm that advises Blue-chip collection of Fortune 100 companies.

Background of the book: Why We Buy introduces readers to the science of shopping and details the work of trackers, who observe the shopping behavior of consumers either via time-lapse photos, video, or track sheets, which they fill out while trailing an unknowing customer. The book is divided into three parts: the mechanics of shopping: how people physically react to the layout of space, other people in the store, etc. the demographics of purchasing: the different behaviours of men, women, seniors, and kids. the dynamics of shopping: in other words how shoppers respond psychologically to the placement of merchandise, packaging, and other features of the merchandise itself.

Mehul Section 1

The Twilight Zone

Twilight Zone
Front part of the store The parking lot and The transition zone

You Need Hands

Allow your customers to use both hands, Customers could check-in all their personal belongings and salesclerks would be instructed dispatch the bags and boxes to the will-call desk near the exit The visitor may forget to pick up their items; in that case the shop could have them delivered to their hotel The floor would be completed with attended restrooms, ATMS, a caf, etc. By providing this kind of service to better customers would prove to be most profitable on an even bigger scale.

How to Read a Sign

A sign is a walk-in container for words and thoughts and messages and ideas, not just paper placed in a store. The best possible way to present a clear message, in a logical way is to ask the following questions
What will shoppers be doing here? What about here? What will they be thinking about there? What will they be doing there, etc. By taking the answers into consideration you can figure out the best zone for the sign.

A sign must be placed where the shopper will have enough time to read it i.e. Escalators The best example of correct sign design and usage would be to look at roadway signs. Yes, you read correctly, road way signs. They contain the correct principals; no extra words, the right sign at the right place; enough signs so that drivers dont feel ignored or under informed; not so many signs so that theres clutter or confusion

Shoppers Move Like People

A good store is defined as one that exposes the greatest portion of its goods to the greatest number of its shopper for the longest period of time Determine what parts go unvisited due to poor planning, trackers routinely perform an hourly plot of a store

 A smart store is defined as a store that is designed in accordance with

how customers walk and where they look. understand shoppers habits of movement and take advantage of them instead of ignoring them or even worse changing them pinball effect. The pinball effect is the felicitous dispersal of merchandise that bounces shoppers throughout the entire store. To put the effect in simpler terms, the merchandise itself is a tool to keep shoppers flowing. boomerang rate. The boomerang rate measures of how many times shoppers fail to walk completely through an aisle, from one end to the other. One way for retails to end this problem is to position the most popular goods halfway down the aisle, and manufacturers should attempt to do just the opposite to keep their products as near the end of the aisle as possible.

Pradeep

YOU ARE TOO YOUNG(OLD BABY BOOMERS)

By 2025,American people(1/5) will be sixty five or older Improved health care ,nutrition , fitness and cosmetic surgery , at seventy ,shell look and feel at 50. Having numbers and dollars ,but with age human eyes begin to falter For ex: current study of news paper readership

If you Can
Large customer for todays drugstore To read labels , directions and warning on drugs(91%) Merchandising material for large saving Bank Signage at major Hotels Retail shoppers Suppermarkets Ongoing changes ATM

KIDS
Shopping effect on children-kids go everywhere Shopping-leisure outing Marketplace wants kids-Youre an economic force ,now and future thats what counts Store unwelcome to kids-shut out Store design , fixture-determines kid-friendly or kid-avoidant

 Kids-enthusiastic consumers , want to sell them , you have to put it where the can see and reach For car salesman or a bank loan officer-parents close attention required then first find a way to divert attention of restless , bored child Supermarket-forefront of exploiting the hands-on shopping style of children , offer candy-free checkouts

 E.g. McDonalds-appeal to kids not only through its menu but with toys and licensed Smart bookseller-stock and shelves by gender Toys-kids real decision maker Since women still do most of the shopping , it makes sense to place product for children near sections being shopped by their mother

Section 4

Dynamics of Shopping

See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Buy Me: The Dynamics of Shopping (How shoppers respond psychologically to the placement of merchandise, packaging, and other features of the merchandise itself)

What Do Shoppers Love

Touch Mirrors Discovery Talking Recognition Bargains

What Do Shoppers Hate

Too Many Mirrors Lines (Being Forced to ask) Dumb Questions Merchandise out of stock Obscure Price Tags Intimidating Service
Go away, we dont want your money!

The Sensual Shopper

The importance of engaging the senses in the Shopping Experience Touch Clothing, Linens, wallets, etc. Sight Lightbulbs, printers Taste Any food item Smell coffee, bread, Perfumes Hearing Music, home appliances

The big three

Design (the premises), Merchandising (Whatever we put in them), Operations (Whatever employees do). These Big Three, seemingly separate, are in fact totally intertwined ,interrelated and interdependent. The larger lesson is if one of the big three is strengthened, it takes some of the pressure of the other and if not it will pass the burden on to the remaining two.

This is not a good thing or bad thing- it is just the geometry that rules the shopping universe.

Time, real and perceived

Every stores has good time ( anytime a customer is shopping you want stretch) and Bad time ( is when the customer is made to wait- you want to bend) A short wait enhances the entire shopping experience and long one poisons it. Time is the cruel master in the world of shopping : taking care of customer in 2 min is a success, and doing it in 3min is a failure. Measures To turn bad time into good time : Interaction Orderliness Companionship Diversion

Cash /wrap blues

Many things go wrong here. Reduce theft and other good ideas: combining the two ( cash and wrap station) is frustrating for the customer. Measures : Do it your self station, complete with papper, ribbons, tissue, scissors and tape and no employees at all.

Magic Acts
This chapter is all about getting products to jump up and hit shoppers in the eye. Layout of stores Add-ons - up selling Linking products: in book store, put the kid's books & health books near the women's books. Ex: The Gap now sells fragrance and candles. Club monaco clothing stores sell cosmetics.

Cyberspace
From email communication to cybersex and even to the extent of falling in love and getting married online. Then came the era of e-broking ecom found home in the world of b2b that offered convenience and efficiency.- order forms. delivery schedules, pricing and availability Integration of brick and mortar and online shopping:

 Advantages of cyber shoppinbg:

Limitless selection, Price Comparison Convienience Speed Information The HUMAN TOUCH: Touch, trial, Immediate gratification and social interaction

 Some tips for a successful online business:

Wesites that dont make clear what they can and cannot do Dont put too many workds on the homepage shoppers willmiss a lotofthm Sites have to be attractivly designed with enouggh blank spaces to make type readable Get the navigation simple and landing quick\ Maintain it regularly

Self Exam
encourages individuals to observe their own stores, first from afar, then incrementally closer, until they finally analyze their businesses from within. encourages innovative thinking by prompting entrepreneurs to compare their retail formats with those in different industry,

he book store experience:

The external view signage and directions The right out side small merchandise make a lousy window display Inside the store basket for books, the entrance , fliers and pamphlets, The cash wrap section The books stack display

To conclude
Right product right place and right timeSURVIVAL Competition is between every other demand on consumer time and money Twenty-first century customer will be the kingThe world of retail is about following shoppers where they are going Loyalty of shoppers last only tuill the afterglow of the most recent shopping experiecne.

 More responsibility and authority down to the store manager Teach managers how-to make sure the store is serving customers. Element of creativity, even small little alters have larger impact just like in a world where marketing focuses on strategy tactics are been ignored.