Observational research on shopping behaviour

“Why We Buy: The science of shopping” by Paco Underhill, runs through some of his 20+ years of observational research into how shoppers behave in different shopping environments.

Here’s a couple of points he raised that I found interesting:

• The faster people walk, the narrower their field of vision becomes
• Reflective surfaces cause shoppers to slow down; blank surfaces cause them to speed up
• Shoppers have a tendency to move to the right
• Information provided in store is more effective at influencing purchases than company advertising
• When men and women take clothes into the fitting room, the men are more likely to buy
• Women avoid narrow aisles more than men