What Were They Thinking?

If you’ve ever asked that about a customer, Inside The Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing by Herb Sorensen offers the next best thing to telepathy: a scientific look at all the unconscious and habitual patterns that make up the contemporary shopping experience, together with practical advice on how to use that knowledge to maximize both retailer profit and customer satisfaction. 

Don’t be put off by contributions from Unilever, Marsh Supermarkets, and other far-from-boutique brands — these are often the companies with the money and personpower to put into research and the many stores to compare and contrast. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing here for the smaller independent: in particular, chapters on how open space dictates store traffic, the importance of packaging and the rise of the small store, which indicates that reduced navigational confusion and "choice angst" may be an important part of what shoppers value in alternatives to big boxes.