Why We Buy

Honestly, I didn't finish this book. It's a mammoth examination into the science of product placement for businesses who sell product off the shelves. Parts of the book were fascinating to me, such as the direction most people move through a retail environment, to the size and effectiveness of text in a window display. But the book for me seemed to go very slow, and I found my mind wondering often. So perhaps I'll come back to it another time, or maybe not. There are soooo many good books to be experienced. I hope your having fun reading (or listening) to the books that interest you.

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce

From the Publisher 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.

Comments

[Timothy Uhl]

I sucked this one down via audio book on the drive to Phoenix. That made it much easier to swallow.

It's a good dip into consumer psychology.