Paco Underhill, once a budding academic who worked on a project analysing how people use public spaces, adapted anthropological techniques to the world of retail and forged an innovative career with a consulting firm. He argues that “retail design” based on a company’s close observation of shoppers and stores holds the key to greater sales.

His anecdotes contain illuminating details. For example, since bookstore shoppers like to browse, baskets should be scattered throughout the store to make it easier for customers to carry their purchases. In clothing stores, fitting rooms are best placed closer to the men’s department, because men choose based on fit, while women consider more variables. There are other smart suggestions: drugstores could boast a consolidated “men’s health” department; and computer stores, to attract women, should emphasise convenience and versatility, not size and speed.

The book shows how men are beginning to shop like women and how women have changed the way supermarkets are laid out. It also looks to the future, projecting massive retail opportunities with an ageing baby-boom population and predicting how online retailing will affect shopping malls. This light-hearted look at shopping is highly recommended to anyone who buys or sells.