There aren’t too many people that know this about me, but I am completely fascinated by the strategies behind the retail environment. Its similarities to biological systems of attraction that are prevalent in nature give the topic some real depth that make it very interesting think about. Store layouts, sale incentives, conscious and unconscious attractors, product proximity, the degrees of help from sales associates, they all combine to create shopping experiences that really do motivate shoppers to open up their wallets.
This isn’t pseudoscience, its real human behavioral modification played out in environments we visit multiple times every day. The stories told to us by our surroundings in these environments are the stories that we play out in our lives. Understanding how our minds are manipulated by the spaces we visit gives us great incite into just how sophisticated we scavengers have become, but still how similarly and predictably we respond to well managed retail manipulation.
Audio: A quick fascinating discussion with an expert on retail environments
A consultancy for this type of study: Envirosell
(Sorry for manipulating you with the title. Did it make you read the post?)
i’m afraid your title didn’t sell it – i already have brand loyalty. but i am looking forward to listening to that radiolab episode.