Shop Sense discussion, State Library of Victoria

The exhilaration and delight children experience from an Easter egg hunt is comparable to the an adult’s shopping experience explains Dr Jonica Newby, presenter of Catalyst, ABV TV and chair of State Library of Victoria’s recent talk, Shop Sense. It would seem that from a young age, children naturally possess the “hunter/gatherer” instinct with minimal adult influence.

The evening commenced with a quick quiz from Newby, who asked audience members to stand up if they were wearing anything that they had not set out intentionally to purchase. The resounding response was at least three quarters of the group standing, highlighting that shopping is largely driven by an impulsive “hunter/gatherer” instinct, similar to that experienced in children on an Easter egg hunt.

The Shop Sense discussion was part of a series of events run in conjunction with the library’s ’Til You Drop Shopping a Melbourne History exhibition that concludes 31 October. Guests speakers included Dennis Paphitis, founder of Aesop and Dr Colin McLeod, Executive Director, Australian Centre for Retail Studies, Monash University.
There are three main reasons why we shop, explained McLeod:
1. Risk
2. Convenience
3. Enjoyment

McLeod continued, adding that “women exchange sex for comfort and safety”, which loosely translates that women would exchange sex for shopping (comfort and safety).
Newby supports the notion that shopping can make us feel better. A successful shopping transaction is dependent on the customer being able to visualise the benefits/end use of their purchase. ie. a dress that makes them feel great or “owning something that enhances our sense of self” says Newby.

Before Catalyst, Newby was a fully trained vet, making the move into journalism as presenter of five part series for ABC TV, The Animal Attraction. Newby recognises many similarities between human and animal behaviours. For example, the positive enhancement of our appearance is similar to the animal grooming instinct. Animals often “self-groom” when they are stressed. Grooming becomes an action that sooths, explains Newby In a similar way, humans often relish time to themselves when they are preparing for a night out or even just the day ahead.

A successful shopping experience will stimulate all of our senses, ie. vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch and even our brain. McLeod believes that when it comes to shopping, “touch is the most important sense we have”. Ironically, touch is often discouraged in retail. Denying one of our most important senses will inhibit our means of discovering products and in turn our decision-making ability.
Paphitis agrees, saying the flooring is an important element in all Aesop stores. Differentiating the store flooring to the pavement outside reassures the customer that they are in another zone. Natural flooring with texture, such as matting and wood are used to highlight different areas in the store, whilst providing subtle texture.

McLeod’s favourite retail experience is his local coffee shop, which ticks all the sensory boxes. A passion for producing amazing coffee is evident with the tantalising aroma of coffee brewing as soon as you walk through the door. Subtly, the experience is further enhanced with bags of fresh coffee beans piled on the floor for visual impact and coffee tasting notes written on black boards to educate customers on the nuances of high-quality coffee.

It’s the little things in a store that matter; the smell (pleasant, yet subtle), the music (unobtrusive), the temperature (not to hot or cold, but more pleasant than outside) and most importantly the sales staffs’ interaction with customers i.e. knowing when to start conversation and crucially, when to back off.
Paphitis likens each of his stores to charms on a charm bracelet – they are unique but all need to be connected. Although all Aesop stores share the same back-end systems, they are designed to integrate with their local area. For example, staff in the Fitzroy store are encouraged to wear jeans for a more relaxed, casual feel that will relate to their customer. However, the Collins Street store has a polished, darker finish designed to appeal to the male customers in city.

The ‘local touch’ extends further in international Aesop stores. Recycled light-coloured wooden hoarding boards (typically used on construction sites throughout Zurich) have been sourced and used in Aesop’s Zurich store. Reusing these boards reinforce Aesop’s support of the environment through recycling, and also recreate an environment that is familiar and comfortable for city customers.

The evening revealed a couple more intriguing retail truths. Many audience members were astounded to learn that men are more impulsive shoppers than women.
Whatever our motivation for shopping, the future certainly seems bright thanks to our instinctual “hunter and gatherer” characteristics and eternal quest to please our senses. Fortunately, there is no shortage of skilled, passionate retailers jostling to delight our senses in exchange for our custom.