Why We Buy. The Science of Shopping

By Paco Underhill.

Why we buy things is deep and complicated. Sometimes it's because you saw an advertisement that pushed a button. Sometimes it's because there happened to be a basket near by so you didn't have to go out of our way to get that extra little thing.

Underhill spends lots of time on the latter-- the physics of shopping so to speak. We buy things because we physically are aware of the things we could buy. We buy things because we could spend the right amount of time evaluating those things and that they are suitable for us. And we buy things because we were physically capable of doing so.

.. We buy things because we physically are aware of the things we could buy… Advertising, marketing and display. Do you have good marketing? Are your customers exposed to your marketing materials at a time when they are open to it? A nice poster posted on the way into a bathroom is not useful since everyone has more important things to take care of.  But a nice poster visible on the way out….

…We buy things because we could spend the right amount of time evaluating those things and that they are suitable for us. You need time to evaluate what you want to buy. The amount of time differs by product. People want to spend a few minutes reading about vitamins and minerals before they buy. Put these products in an area with lots of hustle and bustle and their sales drop. Put them in an accessible quiet area and their sales climb. The type of environment every product needs to be sold is different.

…we buy things because we were physically capable of doing so. If lines are long, then people will walk a way. If a drug store makes shopping baskets available in the middle of the store, then their sales will grow because it's now easier for people to buy a little more. Making the purchasing experience as friction free as possible will only help sales.