THE NON-OBVIOUS SHOW · EPISODE 46
with Paco Underhill
In this episode, Paco Underhill, a pioneer in consumer behavior and retail anthropology, shares insights from his extensive research on how consumers shop and make decisions. He discusses the evolution of retail spaces, the impact of gender on shopping habits, and the role of technology in shaping consumer experiences. Underhill emphasizes the importance of observational research over traditional focus groups and highlights the shift towards experiential retail. He also reflects on his personal journey towards healthier eating and the broader implications of consumer choices.
Paco Underhill fell into consumer anthropology by accident, standing on a Seattle rooftop 60 stories up, feeling the building sway, deciding he needed a job that didn't involve heights. What followed was three decades of studying how people actually behave in stores across more than 50 countries, and a set of observations that sound like party tricks until you realize the money behind them. He can walk into almost any store and tell you the gender of the manager, and of whoever hung the signs, purely from patterns of cleanliness and sight lines (women tend not to look up in crowded spaces, because looking up means surrendering control of your personal space). He explains why a Brazilian supermarket chain deliberately angled its aisles to 45 degrees, sacrificing a fifth of its shelf space to make the store feel more abundant. He points out that a 19th century French peasant ate roughly 80 different foods a year while most Americans today eat fewer than 25, that farmers are discovering cabbage is worth more as kimchi, and that researching his book on eating cost him 25 pounds. He also got booed off a stage in 1999 for saying what he said about the internet.
Retail researcher, founder of Envirosell
Paco Underhill founded the retail research firm Envirosell and wrote Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping and How We Eat. He uses field observation of shoppers to explain how store layout, signage and packaging change what people buy.
pacounderhill.com ↗
Want More Non-Obvious Ideas?
The Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter brings you the five or six most fascinating and overlooked stories of the week, with a quick take on why each one matters.
One email every Thursday. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world.
© 2026 Rohit Bhargava. Washington DC.
