Women Shoppers Take Over!

Did you ever wonder why Best Buy flourished while Circuit City folded? Why make-up buyers prefer Sephora to department store counters? Why some malls fail while others thrive? Why hotel chains decorated with earth tones and curvy furnishings have higher occupancy rates? Why the traditional chain drug store, which sold primarily pharmaceutical or health items, has evolved into today’s modern version of a “General Store”, selling such a plethora of items? The answer, according to “the Sherlock Homes of retailers” Paco Underhill, is WOMEN!

Underhill is a consultant to major retailers looking to gain more customers and his firm, Envirosell, concentrates on improving physical arrangements, displays, lighting, packaging and overall design of stores. His first two books, “Why We Buy” and “The Call of the Mall”, were wildly successful and I made a point to hear him speak a couple years ago at a library conference I attended in Seattle. (He had many interesting ideas about public library layouts too.)

Paco’s new book is “What Women Want: the Global Market Turns Female Friendly” and contains a wealth of anecdotal and scientific information about the buying power of females in today’s economy and what attracts women to certain retail establishments. It’s really fun reading! Any shop owner would be wise to consult this book for its shrewd observations and practical applications relating to getting female traffic into a store. “What Women Want” is not only useful, it’s entertaining and thought-provoking for anyone who shops! Highly recommended!