Science Of Shopping Summary

Many people think that science can explain everything we would ever want to know. Things such as how cars work and how to fix an injured person can all be explained by science. The article “Science of Shopping” explains that Paco Underhill can use science to explain human behavior in a shopping environment. Paco explains all of his theories about the Decompression Zone, the invariant left, and many other surprising theories. Malcolm Gladwell, the author, tells us a little about Paco Underhill, a retail anthropologist. He spends much his time watching video tapes of customers shopping. He watches how they react and gets data in order to determine how to maximize the revenue of the store. Gladwell describes Paco as “a tall man in his mid-forties, partly bald, with a neatly trimmed beard and an engaging, almost goofy manner. He wears baggy khakis and shirts open at the collar, and generally looks like the academic he might …show more content…
Paco theorizes that many shoppers take a while to adjust to the new environment inside the store. The new lighting, mindset, and even pacing are things customers change while entering the store. Paco estimates this period is anywhere from twelve to twenty-five feet. He advises store owners to never put anything important in this Decompression Zone because shoppers likely won't see it. He claims that moving things from the front of the Decompression Zone to the back will increase customers acknowledgment and interaction by at least thirty percent (Gladwell 95). Gladwell then reveals another theory common in designing the setup of stores, the Invariant Right. Paco claims that any shopper entering any store will “invariably and reflexively turn to the right. (Gladwell 95)” He has stacks videocassettes proving the invariant right. He claims that items placed toward the right of the Decompression Zone of the store will get better results. Paco claims this is the prime spot for