Why We Buy
by Paco Underhill
Audible.co.uk (audiobook)
Don't bother with this updated version of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping if you are hoping to pick up tips on how to sell through the internet. For that you need an e-tail specialist. But do buy Paco Underhill's book if you want to understand shopper psychology better: why women prefer wider aisles (so they aren't butt brushed); how men choose meat in a supermarket (without inspecting it carefully); ways in which to keep shoppers in your store longer; and how to increase your 'conversion' rate (the percentage of people who walk in and actually buy something). Underhill gives real examples, often of ill-conceived ideas, that should never have been given the green light. And although he refers mainly to American stores, he casts his observant eyes farther afield: in Tokyo's Shibuya district, he approves of a sign saying, 'Miscellaneous goods that make our lives happy and easy' because of, among other things, its feel-good factor. One thing, though: there is no science behind the advice. Most of it is common sense.
Extras: none