The changing nature of retail: Five things to consider

Brian Carruthers

Some of the changes that were already underway before the COVID-19 pandemic struck have since “either accelerated or morphed”, says environmental psychologist Paco Underhill.

“While it's important to understand where you’re winning, some of the easiest and most important victories you can win [come from] understanding where you’re losing,” according to Paco Underhill.

Speaking at behavioural science festival Nudgestock 2022, the writer, consultant, and former academic psychologist – an expert on the effect that space has on people’s behaviour – contrasted his own tactical approach with the strategic one favoured by the big consultancies.

“We could walk into almost any retail space or any cyberspace and start to make some immediate – in some cases very minor – changes, where you could see the...

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