I have this pesky habit of going out shopping for, say, a pair of black shoes, and coming home with a cute pair of red pants. Or heading to the store for diapers and shampoo and bringing home a tube of lip gloss, some socks, and a chocolate bar seemingly unintentionally. So when I heard about Why We Buy I immediately wanted to read it to help me understand what is really going on in my head that leads me to believe red pants can fill the same need as black shoes, or why I think this particular shade of lip gloss will change my life by making me 10 time more desirable and hip, unlike the 15 other tubes in my makeup bag.
If that’s what you’re thinking you’ll get in Why We Buy, this book will be a sore disappointment. Fortunately, it was an otherwise interesting read so I’m actually not disappointed I read it at all. Written mostly for those who are involved in retail in some way (lowly clerk or store owner alike can learn greatly from this book, not to mention package designers and marketers), and I’ve been able to make some casual suggestions to clients of mine that have a retail space. In fact, I plan to take this book right over to one client in particular who I think might really benefit from some of the ideas in the book. Bottom line: If you work in retail, this is a must-read.
For the rest of us…if you’re like me and enjoy quirky bits of non-fiction peppered with references to psychology and human behavior, you’ll probably find it an interesting read. Paco Underhill’s tone is often sarcastic, occasionally abrasive, but the information is fascinating. If you aren’t like me, however, that probably sounds like the most ridiculous waste of time for hobby reading. The fact is, the book would be much more aptly titled How We Buy rather than Why We Buy, as there is very little in the way of understanding shopper motivation and rationalization, and very much space dedicated to how shopping is carried out.
The verdict: If it sounds interesting to you after this pitiful summary, you’d probably enjoy it. If it doesn’t, it wouldn’t be.
Article by Kelli. She's the primary caretaker of this here site. Hope you're enjoying your visit. 