Science of Shopping

Reported December 2009

New York (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- This holiday season, stores are doing everything to lure you in. Sometimes there's more than meets the eye behind those beautifully shelved items. There's a science behind shopping, and it's all about the "how" of the sell.

This for the stocking … that goes under the tree … one for my husband … one for my daughter. How did they get you to buy that? There is a science behind these rows of gifts.

"Ninety percent of us are right handed," Paco Underhill, an urban geographer and CEO and President of Envirosell in New York, N.Y., explained to Ivanhoe. "Generally we use our left hand to carry and right hand to grab."

Underhill has spent 20 years studying human behavior as we shop, to determine why we shop the way we do. He consults with stores worldwide, tuning them on to clinch the sale.

"I tend to go left to right, making sure to do the full loop, and I know by the time I hit here, which is the front counter, I'm gonna have something I'm purchasing, whether I want it or not," shopper Andrea Figman said.

Tricks of the trade? A subtle scent…

"The odor is prevalent but very gentle," Underhill described. "What it means is it gets our saliva glands working whether we're selling food, candles, tabletop. If our saliva glands are working, it means we are a better shopper."

And a "better shopper" is just the target merchants hope to lure.

"We try to create a sense of excitement in our store and that is done through product selection, and if we can capture a customer by the way they respond to a product, we have a sale," Kevin Brynan, owner of the store Mxyplyzyk in New York, N.Y., explained.

"I like this store because you have to pick something up to see how it works or if it is useful to you, or if is definitely beautiful from far away, so it's kind of a place to leisurely make your way through," shopper Candice Hoyes said of Mxyplyzyk.

And speaking of making your way through...

"One of the concepts that governs how we shop is what we call the butt brush factor," Underhill said. "The more likely we are to brush from the rear, the less likely we are to convert from a browser to a buyer…"

Because we are more uncomfortable. But what's the main ingredient for a "smart" shopper?

"This isn't about how much you spend," Underhill said. "It's about how thoughtful you are."

A final rule to remember on your next shopping trip -- if you touch something for more than 30 seconds, you are more likely to buy it.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Angela Mauro
Public Relations
(212) 673-9100 x322
angela@envirosell.com

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