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Insights from Paco Underhill, a world thought leader on shoppingbehavior, retail environments and Why We Buy. Paco Underhill has researched and verified just about everythingthere is to know about retail shoppers. He knows they bolt through the entryway decompression zone ofpublic spaces before slowing down and turning right, thus makingthe space located 5-15 paces beyond and to the right of entrancesretail s most valuable real estate. He knows there s a correlation between how long people spend timein a store (waiting time excluded) and how much they buy, and thatthey ll buy more if you free their hands by providing them with ashopping cart or bag. He knows they ll abandon purchases they wereprepared to make if they see a long line at the cash register and that most women will U-turn and leave an aisle if it s sonarrow that another shopper gives them a butt-brush. He knows these things based on decades of meticulously researchedretail insights, which are detailed in his best-selling book, WhyWe Buy: The Science of Shopping (Simon & Schuster, 2008), nowavailable in 27 languages. When I asked him what Main Street merchants would learn if theycould afford to tap the wisdom of one of the world s foremostretail advisors, he offered the following answers. Barbara Findlay Schenck: Do the same shopping principles that applyin big brand stores apply on Main Street? Paco Underhill: The principles are true in every physicalenvironment, whether an airport, public library, hospital or retailstore. The key aspect that makes a local store different is thatthe social interaction is more positive. Think about a localconvenience store. People go in three times a day, in part becausethey re greeted. In our modern culture there aren t many placeswhere people experience contact like that. What common mistakes hold small retailers back from greater salessuccess? Historically, the evolution of an American small retail businessbegins with great enthusiasm, then somewhere along the way thelevel of owner energy declines. Someone gets lazy and starts toneglect important details: - They neglect cleanliness. Hygiene is very important, especiallyto women. - They overlook the need for change. New windows and reorganizationon the floor is necessary to create a sense of evolution thatbrings excitement to the space. - They quit leading from the front. They begin hiding in the backroom doing paperwork or whatever rather than being seen on thefloor. Employees, who look to the owner as the example of how totreat customers, then assume a similar style. - They forget that part of the importance of being a merchant issimply being there. Somehow they decide that it s more importantto go to the soccer game every Saturday afternoon. At least some ofthe time, owners need boots on the ground. - They assume that because they re small, the Web isn t an asset.It s a way to get rid of items that have gotten long in the tooth,and a way to network with best customers. There s a very strong consumer bias for well-run local businesses.Look at the popularity of farmers markets. But it has to have anenergy, freshness and evangelical joy to it. What are a few actions small retailers could and should do tobetter compete in today's retail environment? Progressive retailers adapt to global retail trends: - Engage all five senses. Shoppers are conscious of what they see,taste, smell, touch and hear. Sense marketing is an inexpensive wayto impact the customer experience. - Day-part your store. Customer traffic patterns are predictable.Use knowledge of the demographics and desires of shoppers invarious moments as a merchandising tool. For example, adjust musicmixes throughout the day you don t need 47 mixes, but perhapsfive. Historically, owners use music as a placatory for staff. Butit also serves as a signal to customers you do and don t want in the store. - Realize the continual need for freshness. Stores consume energy.They go through a birth-life-death cycle. A plaque outside the doorreading Open since 1927 celebrates life and longevity. It alsoannounces that everyone else who was there in 1927 isn t there anylonger. And that s not necessarily bad. When shop owners get tiredand lose focus, it s time to move on. That final truth is strong medicine. It also delivers a jolt thatcan renew energy and revive small shops. For more information, PacoUnderhill s books Why We Buy, Call of the Mall and What Women Want provide facts and findings that can help youbreathe new life into your shop and sales. I am an expert from steel-trussbridge.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Amphibious Bridge Manufacturer , Soft Surface Layer, Truss Bridge,and more.
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